Held Captive RePublish
by mdna
Summary: My favorite one shot I wrote last year, Re Published into a mini short story. Damon, a notorious War Lord captured the lovely, innocent Elena as part of his war games but things are not as simple as he'd thought. Set in medieval times.
1. Chapter 1 & 2

A/N: Re publishing my old favorite story. Instead of a one shot, I've turned it into a mini novel. Hopefully not more than 10 chapters. Enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not won the characters in thi story

**Chapter 1 & 2**

The dimly lit hallway seemed never ending, leading Elena deeper into a darker part of the castle. She was given a huge fur cloak that swept the floor after her foot steps and the hood covered half of her face. But from the corner off her eyes, Elena could see two guards escorting her, swords ready at their belts. Heavy chains around her wrists reminded her of how impossible escaping would be. Not in a hurry to meet her death, Elena slowed her pace and gazed up towards the sky.

"Lord, what have I done to deserve this? Please save me…"

Elena remembered her walk with her sister just that morning before she was abducted. Had she known a beautiful day would turn into a nightmare, she would never have strolled off so far. They had grabbed Gabriel first and dragged her into the forest.

Elena was so frightened and chased after her, tackling the soldier to the ground. Although Gabriel manages to escape out of the forest, Elena was too shaken to run afterwards and felt her waist being pulled backwards. Her head was quickly covered and she was thrown over the man's shoulders. Elena was helpless, she kicked and screamed, scratched anything she thought would be human flesh. She was later hoisted on a horse and was taken deeper into the forest, away from the safety of her home.

"A feisty one this is…" she heard the man said as he dropped her off his shoulder. She could feel dirt under her touch and she scrambled around in the darkness.

"And you're sure this is Gilbert's daughter…?" another man spoke from behind her.

"Aye, one of his daughters, I'm certain of it…"

Between then and now, she was pushed and shoved in every direction, brought to the fort of the mighty war lord himself. He truly is heartless; Elena recalled rumors of the greatly feared war lord, terrorizing the borders of her country. She couldn't remember a time when her family had ever felt safe; with the men always off to war.

Soon, a glimpse of bright light was seen from a huge gaping door at the end of the hall way. One of the guards knocked on the heavy doors and moments later pushed the door open to shove her into the main chamber. In the lion's den, Elena braced herself for whatever that may come at her.

A figure stood tall facing the window. It must be him, she can sense the power emanating from him but they weren't alone. A man in armor came from behind her, griping her shoulder and pushed her closer to the dark figure across the room.

"A gift for you my lord, the key to our victory…" the man said, smiling in satisfaction. Elena jerked away from his hands when he tried to lift her face up. "Very valuable in our possession…" he continued.

Elena was about to spat out her protest and ready to swing her arms at the man when a deep voice stopped her. "If she is indeed very valuable, why is her hands chained? Release her, Elijah"

Elena watched her hands freed and quickly plot an escape in her mind, but when she looked up to see the man responsible for her release, all thoughts seized. His icy blue eyes looked deep into hers, his beard covered jaws were strong and Elena could tell his face was not a disappointing one. But her fascination didn't last long as soon as she remembered war stories brought back to her village. Lord Salvatore was ruthless, he slaughtered his enemies armed or unarmed, man, women and children were of no difference to him, his troop cleared everything in their way, burning every village they pass. The men coming back from battle field with one less arm or feet were proof of Lord Salvatore's brutal strength and power. They had called him 'The Black Wolf' and stories of him were told to small children to keep them inside.

That man stood in front of her now. He was studying her as much as she was studying him. "Such an exquisite creature…" Damon took a step closer, drawn into Elena's unparallel beauty. He have heard of her beauty, the Gilbert's eldest daughter could bring men to their feet with only an innocent smile, the object of desire for many common men and even Kings. Wondering if he could easily fall into that number of men, Damon circled her, inspecting her figure, hidden under a heavy cloak.

"Thank you Elijah…" Damon stood in front of her again, holding her captive with his gaze. "…now leave us" he ordered before Elijah nodded obediently and left the chamber, closing the door shut behind him. Elena was suddenly aware that she was alone with the 'Black Wolf' and she gulped, gathering her courage.

"So _you_ are Elena Gilbert…." He sent her a sly smirk. "I'm sure you know who I am" Damon said as he walked away and poured a drink at a table nearby.

"Aye…" Elena answered, rubbing her sore wrists that were chained earlier. She watched the man before her intently and then glanced at the door where she knows men are staying on guard on the other side. She calms her haggard breath when Damon approached her again.

"And you know why you are here?"

"Of course…you intend on using me to bargain your victory with my father…so your barbaric soldiers abducted me from my home"

"… from what I heard, you were far from your home when they found you, Lady Elena…just standing there, ready to be picked up" Damon gave another dangerous smirk. "Ladies such as you mustn't stray off…dangerous things can get to you…"

"…like wolves?" Elena offered, shooting a fiery glance at Damon who just shrugged. He had been called much worst. Damon was however intrigued by her spirit and even in his presence, she was bold and brave.

"Your father lead a strong army, I'm not too proud to admit it. Your borders are well defended, you should be proud of your family" Damon sat across from Elena, sipping his drink as well as the magnificent sight of her. Elena hated the way he looked at her and her hands clenched into a fist.

Her eyes suddenly travel to his thick leather belt where a small dagger was concealed and instantly set her eyes on it. Lost in her contemplation, Elena hadn't realized that silence fell between them.

"Well…" Elena swallowed hard; letting her courage speak for her, "… get on with it then"

Damon's dark eyebrow raised and he set his drink down, "Get on with what, exactly?"

"With whatever you do with your women war prisoners. Strip them of their honor, ridicule them and then kill them painfully…" Elena challenged him and pointed her chin up in a regal arrogance. Damon's jaws tighten at the bitter description of him although he expected to be portrayed so monstrously by his enemies. Some of his men did behave immorally in the past but Damon made sure they were punished or worst executed. Those kinds of men could not offer much in his army.

"I'm sorry you think of me that way milady, I personally do not prefer such endeavors…" he stood to approach her once more, striding towards her in a lethal manner that made Elena's throat dry. "…but since you seem more than willing, who am I to deny a fair lady's request…" Damon came close enough to push her hood back and caused a waterfall of lush thick brown hair to cascade down Elena's body. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched a smile creep up Damon's face. He untied her cloak at the neck and let it pool on the floor, all a while Elena's body remained frozen.

Damon gently ran the back of his hands along her cheeks, studying her delicate features. As if inspecting her, Damon's eyes lingered down her body, clad in a long dress her mother had made for her. The square bodice accentuated her collar bones and the smooth curves of her neck. And just below that, the dress revealed what the cloak had hidden, her feminine curves. Not able to restrained himself, Damon circled her waist with his arm and as if she was custom made for him, she was perfect for his touch.

He pushed the boundary more and leaned in to one side of her head, buried his face in her hair and inhaled her intoxicating scent. He instantly lost himself. Elena held in her breath, making her body rigid. In the paws of the wolf himself, Elena braced herself for some unknown sort of physical assault; a whimper of terror lodged in her throat, but the next moment she realized there was nothing to fear. Damon suddenly pulled away and released his grip, retreating to his seat and drink.

Damon was dazed; he was overwhelmed with desire for this woman before him like no other. The effort it took to tore himself away from Elena was tormenting, he willed himself to keep a great distance between them. She was not a quest to be conquered; she was the tool to his war games and one that must be kept in good condition. Damon shook his head; "I'm not tempted enough…" lying through his teeth. Elena's chest was heaving with rage. Despite his insult, she kept quiet.

When Damon turned, a dagger suddenly swung at him, missing his face by inches. He backed away and it took him a moment to realize Elena had taken his dagger. Damon froze in surprise and reluctant admiration for the amazing sight he beheld. In front of him now was a beautiful but dangerous assassin, ready to kill. Her huge brown eyes alive with hatred, she slowly raised her hand higher - aimed, Damon realized, straight at his heart. Elena narrowed her gaze towards her target, taking slow careful steps around him and adrenaline rushing through her veins. Elena lunched herself for the second attack.

The dagger slashed through the air with the speed of light. Only his swift reflexes enabled him to deflect it with his arm, then twist the blade free of her death grip, and even with that, as he jerked her against him and threw his arm around her, imprisoning her against his body, bright red blood was already sipping from the gash she'd manage to carve along his cheeks. Anger sipped out from him together with the blood from his face; "If you were a man, I'd kill you for this!"

Elena screamed as her hands were strained and Damon slammed her against the wall. Trapped between his strong body and the surface, Elena could do nothing but struggled.

Damon's strength was no match for her. After all her energy had drained, Elena was calmer but her struggle left Damon breathless. He didn't know whether to feel frightened or impressed but Damon had definitely underestimated Elena's ability. When both their breathing slowed, Damon saw the fire in her eyes die down and her chest slowly exhaling. His body spoke for him when he softens his forceful grip with caution. But his next move surprised even himself more than it did Elena when instinctively; Damon lowered his face to hers.

It was the last thing Elena expected a man she had just attacked to do and she stood still in shock as Damon's cool lips touched hers. Grazing against each other, their lips made contact and sent shivers down Elena's spine. An unfamiliar sensation swept through her body and she shut her eyes as she unknowingly let the kiss deepened. Damon was taken back at how easily Elena gave in to his kiss and could easily feel her inexperience. Nevertheless, he was enjoying the feel of her body against his just as much as the kiss itself.

He wanted to make her submit to him, make her yield, and when Elena arched her back, Damon knew he had succeeded. He tore his mouth away and studied Elena's confused expression. Smirking in satisfaction, Damon declared victoriously; "Well, it seems that you can be tamed after all…"

It took time for Elena to recover but when she tried to move, she realized Damon had tied her hands behind her back while she was distracted by their kiss. She cursed herself and felt ashamed of her weakness. How could she be so foolish? Her father had trained her and her siblings long before they could talk and in a way, Elena felt as if she had disappointed him.

"What has happened?" a man burst through the doors, not long after that, a sword ready at hand. He glanced at Elena, standing idly against a wall and then noticed blood on the side of Damon's face.

"You're hurt, brother" the man went to Damon's side and took a closer look at the fresh wound.

"Tis only a flesh wound, Stefan…"

"Aye, but it's deep. I will send for Elijah…" Stefan walked off throwing another glance at Elena, puzzlement on his face, wondering how she had managed to cut the mighty war lord. Moments later Elijah came to stitch up Damon's cut; "I'll have to shave your beard, sire," Elijah said, "else I can't see the wound in order to stitch it." Damon simply nodded and Elijah quickly shaved off his beard with a knife.

Elijah blocked the Wolf from Elena's view as he went about his task and as minutes slowly ticked by, she found herself leaning slightly to one side, then the other, intensely curious to see what sort of ferocious face had been concealed by his thick, black beard.

Damon had not forgotten her presence, nor did he trust her, now that she'd showed herself bold enough to try to end his life. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he saw her leaning from one side to the other. "Move aside Elijah, so she can see my face before she topples like an overturned bottle, trying to see around you. Let the girl see what damage she had caused"

Elena could not recover her balance quickly enough to pretend she hadn't been doing exactly that. Color washed up her cheeks and she jerked her gaze from Damon Salvatore's face, but not before she'd gotten the startling impression that the Wolf was considerably younger than she'd thought. Moreover he did not have a weak chin. It was strong, square chin with a curious little dent in the center of it.

"Come, come, don't be shy," Damon prodded sarcastically, but the strong wine he'd been drinking was doing much to soothe his temper. Besides, he found her swift startling change from daring assassin to curious young girl both baffling and amusing.

"Take a good look at the face you just tried to carve your initial into," he urged, watching her prim profile. She watched Elijah finish up his final stitch and washed the wound from blood.

"Shall I take her to the dungeon?" Stefan asked as Damon studied his newly stitched face in a hand mirror. He deliberated for a while before answering, "No, leave her here…". With that much fire in her, Damon knew she would try something if she was escorted out the chamber and into the dungeon. More than that, she sparked enough interest that Damon was willing to keep her around just to figure her out.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked once more.

"Yes brother. I want her here. She…." Damon glanced at Elena; "…entertains me." Stefan knew that smirk all too well. His brother never turned down a challenge. If anything, it excites him even more and Stefan was concern for him and Elena's safety. He also knew that Damon will always get his way.

"Very well, but I suggest you sleep with one eye open, brother" with that Stefan and Elijah exited the chamber, leaving Elena to fend for herself. It was silent; Elena stood facing Damon who was deciding what to do with her. "You will make a fine soldier Elena. But if you are as so foolish to try anything like that again, I will not hesitate to slay you where you stand" his voice was calm but his warning was clear. Elena gulped and nodded slowly.

He then cut the ropes from her hands and gave a smile that told her she was free to do as she pleased. "Have you eaten milady?" he gestured towards a table where bread and variety of fruits sprawled. He was considerably relaxed, as if nothing had happened moments ago and Elena was weary.

"A drink perhaps…" he offered again when Elena said nothing.

"You could share my bed tonight If you'd like" Damon added to get a response out of her and that he did. "I would rather rot in the dungeon than share a bed with a man like you…" Elena spat out, and then walked off in the other direction. "Do not speak so fast. I could easily persuade you…" Damon raised an eyebrow and Elena recalled her moment of weakness in his arms before. She shook her head; determine not to be provoked, as it was clearly what he was trying to do.

"I am of no use to you, Lord Salvatore. My father will not come to my rescue, let alone allow me jeopardize his battles. Nothing will stop him…" Elena stared out the window and remembered his father's unlimited commitment to defending the country.

"What kind of father will not save his own daughter? Do not worry yourself milady, he will show up soon enough, for the sake of your life…" Elena saw Damon grinned through his reflection on the window.

"If you had gotten a different daughter, perhaps he would care more. You see, I was never the apple of his eye. He despises me…" lost in the memory of her childhood, Elena carried on. "He said I was a troublemaker, a hard headed girl and the faster I was married off, the better." She remembered the way John Gilbert had looked at her, most time with disappointment. " But when war broke, marriage was not a priority for most men. Everyone was just living each day trying not to get killed."

Without intending to share so much, Elena snapped out of her trance and spun around to discover Damon's close proximity to her. She was about to push him away when she saw a glimpse of understanding in his eyes. Could it be he has empathy for her? She was skeptical when he reached to caress her hair with a soft expression that Elena had never thought he was capable of.

Elena was suddenly aware of him as a handsome, virile male. And he was handsome, clean shaven, he had a rugged, thoroughly male sort of beauty that had taken her completely by surprised. His jaw was square his cheeks bones high and wide. Lord Salvatore, whose very name struck terror in the hearts of his enemy – had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen in her life.

"I was not my father's favorite either. He had much preferred my brother..." he was gazing into her eyes now, trying to read her thoughts. Elena felt bare in front of him and felt her mighty walls slowly crumbled. As he leaned in closer, Elena trailed her hands to the sides of his waist, feeling the dagger's handle there.

She suddenly felt Damon's hands covering hers and he made a 'tsking' sound to warn her off. It was like taming a wild horse, Damon enjoyed every second of it as he tried to control Elena's reaction to defend herself. Damon knew she had been trained well to protect herself and it was exciting to think that she might have the necessary skills to match his. He took her lingering hand and placed it against his chest where his heart beat started to race.

"I'm not going to hurt you Elena. My fight is with your father, not you." Damon had no idea why but the feisty woman in front of him was so desirable, a familiar throb started to occur below his waist. His gaze lingered to her inviting lips to her thick, long lashes that fan out elegantly. Unlike most women he'd met, Elena did not bore him. He had never met anyone like her, with such beauty equipped with so much spirit and bold determination, Elena quickly became his sole desire the moment he laid his eyes on her. Damon decided then; he wanted her.

Elena saw his eyes darken and could not help but fall into the trap of his compelling gaze. "I must have you, Elena" his whispering voice caught her off guard and Elena's eyes widen upon his unexpected confession. "You're mad!" she blurted out before pushing him away.

Elena was clearly angered, backing herself away from Damon while he simply chuckled. "Yes, how quickly I find myself drawn to you is rather baffling. Perhaps your acts of bravery had sparked it even further…" he said half jokingly. There was no way he would be vulnerable and let himself sleep tonight, so he might as well be kept occupied. And what better way to spend a sleepless night than with another warm body in his bed. He realized though, that Elena will not be like all the other maidens he bedded, she cannot be coaxed or seduced and her unpredictability would be a great inconvenience.

"How badly do you want me?" she suddenly said that caused Damon's jaws to drop and his eyebrow to rise. He sensed something up her sleeve and remained silent, watching her hips sway as she came closer.

"Bad enough to not go to war with my father?" she continued. Damon laughed at her attempt for bargain. It was amusing but he was not that desperate. Damon went back to where he left his wine and took a long swallow before answering; "No…"

"Perhaps bad enough to let me go?" she suggested again. This deal was even more difficult to accept because Damon knew that once he tasted her, it will be impossible to give her up. He thought about it for a while but shook his head and turned to face Elena's serious expression.

"Alright, what about your dagger then?" Elena was annoyed that he was not taking her bait, but she was sure he would take her last offer. Elena had a plan, she was sure of it but the moment Damon approached her curiously, she doubted herself. It was like playing with fire but with very little chances of escaping unharmed. She stood bravely when he studied her; "You're offering yourself to me for the price of a dagger?" he asked as if it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"That's right…" Elena defended her bargain.

"In truth, I have no need to bargain with you at all Elena. I could have taken you by force any time I please." He gave her a dangerous look.

"Aye but you will have to deal with an unwilling company that way…" She kept her chin up as she spoke. The thought of her naked and willing in his bed, had sent desire coursing through his veins. Damon studied her delicate features, remembering the taste of her lips that he had briefly sampled and now was actually craving for. His instincts told him not to trust her and the deal seemed too simple and innocent, when he knew Elena was anything but that. But since she did not mention when she wanted the dagger, Damon saw that the bargain was to his advantage.

"Do we have a bargain?" Elena asked.

"…and you'll keep your end of the bargain?" Damon added. She realized he was referring to the issue of her willingness, and her hesitation grew longer. Soon enough, she nodded silently. A meaningful smirk slowly appeared across his face and he walked towards the bed, stopping beside it. Softening his voice, Damon stood, extending his hand to her. "Come here Elena"

Her knees quaking violently, she walked over to him. Hesitantly, she placed her cold hand in his warm palm, watching as his long fingers closed around hers. She found a strange reassurance in the warmth of his grip and the compelling look in his eyes.

And when his arms encircled her, drawing her against his hard, muscular body, and his parted lips touched hers, her conscience went silent. His tongue slid across her lips, urging them to part, insisting and the moment they did, it plunged into her mouth. His hands glided restlessly, possessively, up and down her back, her breasts and pressing her tightly to him.

Elena felt herself falling into a dizzying abyss of sensuality and awakening passion. In some distant part of her mind, she felt her gown falling away, and then the brush of his palms against her swollen breasts, the sudden increase of ardor in each of his searing kisses. Arms like bands of steel surrounded her, lifting her, cradling her and then she was being carried to the bed and gently laid down upon the cold sheets. Suddenly the warmth and security of his arms, body and mouth withdrew.

Surfacing slowly from the dreamlike daze where she had sought refuge from the reality of what she was doing, Elena felt cool air brushing against her skin and her eyelids opened. Damon was standing beside the bed, removing his clothing and a tremor of alarmed admiration ran through her. In the glow of firelight, the muscle in his arms, shoulders and thighs rippled as he undressed. His movement slowed abruptly to emphasize his move of taking his dagger and placing it on the side of the bed.

Elena's gaze followed his actions, her eyes set on her prize but reminding herself to keep her end of the deal throughout her plan. When her gaze fell on his aching member, proudly erected as proof of his desire for her, she turned her head away in embarrassment. Swallowing a knot of fear, her fingers clutched the edge of the sheet, using it to partially cover herself as he removed the last piece of clothing.

The bed sank beneath his weight , stretching out on his side, he brushed a kiss against her ear and gently pushed aside the sheet. He grasped her chin gently, turning her face towards him and whispered, "Open your eyes Elena…" Elena gathered her courage and found herself staring into seductive blue eyes that held her imprisoned. The first light stroking touch of his lips sent pleasure streaking through her entire body, momentarily paralyzing her, but not for long.

From the corner of his eye, Damon saw her hand slowly reached for the dagger at the side of the bed while she continued returning his kiss. The danger and the desire intertwining in the situation left him more alert and he felt Elena positioning the dagger between their bodies, just below his chin. She was ready to slit his throat but when his face lifted to study her, he saw that her plan had backfired. Her breathing was harsh and rapid, she felt as if she would surely melt from the molten desire pulsing through her. She had not expected to feel so intoxicated, but in the state she was in, being willing in his arms but wanting to slay him at the same time, was next to impossible. He sensed that she was torn, balancing between killing him or giving in to the tenderness of his touch. It was like handling a venomous snake, where a single wrong move could end his life.

His heart pounded harder against his chest at the sheer erotic danger laid just beneath him, in the form of an angle. Forgetting the existence of the dagger poised at his throat, his breath caught as he beheld her and all her naked splendor. A blush stained her sanity skin from her hair to her toes as he gazed upon the exquisite perfection of her lush, rosy-tipped breasts, tiny waist, gently rounded hips, and long shapely legs. Without thinking, he voiced his thoughts aloud, "Have you any idea how beautiful you are?" he whispered huskily, his gaze sweeping slowly upward to her enchanting face. She held his gaze, uncertainty in her eyes. Despite the dagger pressed firmly against his neck, Damon took a leap of chance and slowly lowered his head to reunite their lips that have grown hungry for each other.

She offered him her parted lips, moving them against his, kissing him as passionately as he was kissing her. He groaned with pleasure and deepened the kiss; his hands circled her waist bringing her into vibrant contact with his rigid erection. Kissed into insensibility, she could feel the dagger slowly fall away from his throat, out of her grip and fell to the floor beside the bed, signifying her complete surrender to him. All restrain left her as her hand slid up the bunched muscles of his chest and shoulder and then slid around his neck.

His raging desire increased a hundred times by her touch. Shoving his fingers into her heavy, silken hair, he rolled her onto her back. "Elena…" he groaned hoarsely, devouring her lips again in a bruising kiss. "Elena…" he whispered again and again. And the sound of her name, the hoarseness of his voice affected Elena as vibrantly as the things he began doing to her. his mouth went to her breast, teasing the taut nipple, then closing tightly around it, sucking hard, until Elena was gasping, arching her back, clasping his head to her breast. His hands shifted, gliding down her midriff to her waist, then lower to her thighs.

Reflexively, she clamped her legs together and a muffled, groaning laugh escaped him as his lips returned to hers. "You've never feared me before. Don't begin now." he whispered hotly, his fingers delicately probing amidst the triangle between her thighs, seeking entrance. "It won't hurt". She responded to the need in his voice that matches the need that had been burning in her. With a conscious effort, she forced the muscles in her legs to relax, and the moment she did, his knowledgeable fingers parted her folds, slipping deep inside her wet warmth, tenderly and skillfully pleasuring her, preparing her to receive him.

Clutching him to her, her face buried against his corded neck, Elena felt as if her body was on fire, melting and flowing, and a sob of startled pleasure escaped her. Just when she thought she would surely explode from the feeling building inside her, Damon's knee parted her thighs and he moved to position over her. Elena opened her eyes and saw him poised above her, his face was hard and dark with passion.

His hands went beneath her, cupping her bottom, lifting her hips to receive him; she felt his hot hardness probing her entrance. A shudder shook him as she surrendered in his arms and he inched his throbbing shaft into her incredibly warm, tight core, uncertain of how much pain he was going to cause her. His skilful fingers had eased her passage and he felt her silken warmth tightly sheathing him, expanding to encase him. Twisted into knots of desire, his heart beating painfully, he eased himself into her until he finally reached the fragile barrier of her virginity.

He withdrew by inches and shifted forward again and then withdrew, ready to breach the barrier, desperate to bury himself inside her. With a gentle kiss to her temple as a way to apologize for the pain he was about to cause her, he drove full length into her, hearing her gasp of pain as her arm tightened. Damon waited for her pain to subside and then he began moving inside her, gently sliding upward and withdrawing, entering deeper each time, withdrawing further, his body fully aroused and desperate, his will straining for control. He circled his hips against hers, his passion tripled by her soft moans and her hand gliding to his hips, clasping him to her.

Switching to deep, rhythmic thrusts, he plunged into her and felt her clasped around his swollen member, sheathing him. Stabs of desire were jarring Elena's body and she moved with him, mindlessly seeking something she sensed he was trying to give her, and coming closer and closer to it as he quickened his driving, insistent strokes.

The pulsing deep inside her suddenly exploded in a wild burst of pleasure that racked her body with endless waves of sensation. Her spasms clasped him, clenching and pulling against his engorged manhood. Damon wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding perfectly still to increase her pleasure, his breath coming in fast, deep pants against her cheeks.

He waited until they subsided, and then he drove into her, no longer able to control the force of his thrusts, his whole body jerking convulsively again and again as his warm seeds spurted into her. His elbows shakily buckled from exhaustion and he rested on top of her. Elena's limbs felt boneless, her senses were heightened and a tingling feeling ran all over her body. Their heavy breathing mingled in the air as their heart beats thudded against each other.

She felt a tender kiss landed on her forehead before his weight was taken off her. Lost in the unfamiliar but magnificent feeling she was experiencing, Elena's eyelids grew heavy and soon she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the support. This is a difficult story because 'love+war' seldom has a happy ending and tend to be very complicated. I'm still working on it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story.**

Elena woke up in the middle of the night, her head was spinning and she temporarily forgotten where she was or in whose bed she was in. She forced her eyelids to open and she saw blurry visions of flickering brightness of candles nearby. She was wrapped up in a warm luxurious fur blanket, too comfortable to be her own shabby old bed. She remembered loving kisses, the heat from another person's body and a tremendous explosion of bliss. She tried to sit up but her midriff was possessively circled by a heavy arm. Only then she recalled what had happened and she silently gasped in the dark.

Betrayal was the first thing she thought. She betrayed herself and more evidently, her father. She didn't know what to think especially when she was bedded without force but rather very willingly. She ran her hands through her disarrayed hair and glanced at the man next to her, sleeping peacefully. His strong jaw highlighted by the yellow candle gleam and she could see the newly stitched gash on it that was her doing.

There she was in the arms of the Wolf who had successfully captured and conquered her. A pang of disappointment and outrage echoed in her. She needed to escape. Trying to keep calm, she slowly eased herself out of his grips and pried his arm off her.

She carefully freed herself while her eyes never left his face, making sure he was still asleep. As she struggled out from under the sheets, her eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny under his pillow. It was her prize and she wanted to claim it. Elena stealthily reached one hand over his naked chest to retrieve the dagger under his head. She felt frightened as this could be her last attempt to defeat him. Too embarrassed to recall what Lord Salvatore managed to do with her earlier that night, she remembered that she ruined the opportunity to slit his throat while she had the chance and she must not fail this time. Her heart started to race.

Her finger tips barely touched the handle when suddenly Damon caught her wrist. She screamed and retaliated when his heavy arms circled her body, pulling her down on top of him. "Let go of me! The dagger is mine, we had a deal…" She shouted while pounding her fist on his chest. Her efforts didn't manage to harm the Lord but he simply chuckled which made her angry even more. "I told you I'll be sleeping with one eye open…" he reached for his dagger and pointed it to her chin. Elena instantly stopped struggling and even as he sat up on the bed with her body tightly imprisoned, he could see hatred in her eyes.

Damon teased her with a smirk and aimed the sharp end closer to her neck. He knew that despite what had happened on that bed earlier, Elena was still capable of hurting him and her motivation to kill will multiply. "Aye, we made a bargain and a gentleman would keep his promise" he said hoarsely which sent shivers down Elena's spine. She really needed the dagger for the sake of her life. If she stayed here any longer, she will be killed, be kept as a prisoner or worst, reduced to be Lord Salvatore's whore.

A spark of hope presented itself when Damon handed her the dagger. A glimpse of triumph in his eyes and a teasing smirk on his handsome face. She hesitated for a while before deciding she really wanted to avenge her honor. But before Elena could reach for it, he aimed it across the chamber and threw it straight out the window, sending it flying down into the darkness from the high tower. "Now try and get it…." he laughed while Elena started cursing and kicking. She felt her face burn. Damon however, felt relieved to get rid of the one object Elena had grown obsessive of. It was beginning to annoy him. His laughter mocked her and she erupted; "You bastard, how dare you! You are a barbaric, heartless murderer, who has done nothing but terrorize my people…Let go of me!" she yelled.

Damon's expression quickly turned stern upon hearing her words and he slowly loosened his grip. Elena's chest was heaving with anger but she restrained from saying more and studied his face. His jaws tightened and his brows snapped together but his blue eyes were deep with a hint of anguish. "It's called war milady…" He said bitterly and got off the bed, reaching for his robe and wrapping it around him. Elena was suddenly aware of her own nakedness and pulled the sheets over her chest.

For a man who had tasted victory far too many times, he spoke of war so mournfully. She was not certain but she somehow regretted her words. Damon strode off to one corner and poured himself a drink. He didn't particularly loved killing hundreds of men every day, but it was what he was good at and it was all he knew from the day he was brought into this world. 'To win wars, to gain honor, to conquer and to fight bravely' were lessons instilled in him by his father. He was raised and molded to become a warrior and that he was…his sealed destiny.

"Ask your father, I'm sure he knows the art of war very well. How many men did he murder?" Damon spoke with his back to Elena, inspecting the dark starry sky from the window. The rough tone of his voice caused Elena to swallow her pride. It was true, her father had been at war ever since she can remember, and she of all people should know that there was no way around it. Many people will die. Nothing joyful or peaceful ever comes out of it, only misery.

It was beyond imagination but Elena thought that perhaps Lord Salvatore was trapped at doing what he has to do just like her father used to tell her when she was little. She and her siblings would often crowd their father's feet, begging him to not pick up his sword the next morning and ride into the battle field but he would always reply to all of them, "This is my duty…" She witnessed her mother crying every night for fear of losing her husband or sons just like all the other women in the village.

Her father taught her to be immune to the grim and agony of bloodshed. She grew up accepting it as a natural order of things, even learnt the art of self defense to prepare against violent encounters. She grew up strong and known for her bravery. But there was a small girl inside her who still hated war, still shaken by the sight of blood and still felt hopeless whenever she hears her mother cry.

Damon could hear delicate footsteps as Elena approached him from behind. Instead of a threatening move he was expecting her to make; she calmly walked around him and stood bravely to face him. His dark brow lifted in puzzlement as he gazed over her perfect features. Silence fell between them and she returned his gaze but hers were full of affection. She understood him and the position he was in, the empathy in her eyes comforted him and he felt something in him ached.

"You can end this age long war, you posses great power and position, the fate of many more lives lay in your hands…" she spoke confidently as if to instill courage in him. Her eyes pleaded to him and her voice was both assuring and gentle. She touched some part of him no one was able to before. Damon recognized that it was his heart. He looked deep into her eyes curiously, it gleamed from the moon light and unexpectedly she fell to her knees, repeating the very words she pleaded to her father a thousand times in her childhood "My Lord I beg you" her voice was shaky, "…please do not carry your sword tomorrow and ride into battle"

Damon froze, looking down at the most enchanting woman who was begging at his feet. He grabbed her shoulders and gently ushered her to get up. She was willing to make herself vulnerable, willing to be selfless in the hopes that he would stop war. He had never seen such bravery and he was overwhelmed by her gesture and humble request.

He was the mighty war lord, feared and respected throughout the land. He never gives up a fight or come back from a battle defeated, even kings have bowed down to him asking for mercy and yet Elena's innocent request for the sake of others and not her own life, shook him to the very core. He tilted her chin to him and saw a drop of tear rolled down her cheek and with that he knew, he will fulfill her wish.

Damon nodded and her lush lips curled into a smile, a smile he had never seen since she entered his chamber and to receive it, Damon felt his chest expanded with so much passion mixed with gratitude. In the time he had known her, she had amused him, infuriated him and sexually excited him. She was gentleness and defiance wrapped in an alluring package but most importantly, she had the ability to dominate his heart.

He carefully lowered his face to hers and she did not evade him nor stop him, but instead closed her eyes to receive his inviting lips. Her reaction sent flames of desire shooting uncontrollably through his bloodstream and he pulled her body tightly against him, letting the sheets she was gripping in her hands to slide away.

The feel of her warm body sent an urge coursing through his veins as his hands desperately explored every inch of her skin. Soon their kiss was out of control, his tongue slipped between their parted lips and urgently tasting her sweet flavor.

In the midst of her whirling senses, Elena realized that she was as desperate for him as he was for her. It was different this time because their feeling was at par; an understanding was accomplished between them. She gave in to the compelling attraction she felt for him. He ran his hand down her thigh and lifted it to wrap around him as his mouth continued to seduce and persuade her. Any restrain Elena had, melted away the moment she caved to the pleasure of his skillful lips that made her skin burn.

Her body yielded willingly and she moaned as his kisses traveled down her neck and breasts, making her lose the ability to think at all. Her fingers clenched in his hair, holding him to her breast. Her core grazed against his hard erection and after her first encounter with Damon, Elena knew what they needed to soothe the aching desire for friction between a man and a woman. She was pulsating, finding herself desperately needing him there. She arched her hips and circled it in contacts to his groins that pushed his control off the edge.

He captured her lips once more in a raw kiss. With one swift move, he entered full length into her and tore a soft scream from her chest. Her silken warmth encased him perfectly and Damon groaned deep in his throat. The fierce hunger of his deep thrusts, the urgency of each stroke, sent ecstacy through her and it finally exploded forcefully. Damon held her more tightly as he plunged once more to join her in blissful oblivion.

** A/N: too much smut? I'm soooo sorry! I cant help myself... this couple is just so irresistible.**


	3. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay I'm slowly and carefully moving the story along...hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story**

The next morning, Elena found herself alone. The warm comfort of Damon's arms that cocooned her all night was gone. There were footsteps of guards just outside the doors. She hurried to find her dress somewhere on the floor and peered out the window; soldiers were packing for travel in the front court yard. Something was happening. Men were running about, scrambling from one end to another, occupied with their task. She watched them from a distance, remembering the horrible stories of Lord Salvatore's barbaric army.

Moments later, two old women came in through the doors, carrying in their hands pales of hot water and fabric. They scanned her entire length "What did I tell ya? Quite a looker isn't she …" a women with barely a strand of black hair on her head, giggle. "Aye…come my dear, we were sent to get ya' ready…" one lady said after seeing how hesitant Elena was. They looked harmless and the sense of urgency in the air made her complied. Elena was not used to such pampered treatment and was reluctant to let herself be cleaned and groomed by two old ladies reminiscent of her grandmother. But after being fed and washed, the women left and their company was quickly replaced by a young man she knew was called Stefan.

"Lady Elena, please follow me. The troops will depart soon" he casually said. Stefan was a charming man. Elena guessed him to be one or two years younger than his brother. His expression was pleasant and he spoke politely. He was too kind and if Stefan was part of the battalion, then surely Damon's army may not be as cruel as rumor made it out to be. Elena saw that he had green eyes and her mind quickly recalled Damon's enchanting blue ones and as soon as he crossed her mind, her heart started to race. Fighting to stay calm, she did not refuse Stefan's invitation and followed him down the halls and stairs of the castle. There were no chains assigned to her which meant she was no longer treated like an enemy but judging from the curtsy she received all morning, she was more of a guest now.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Stefan ushered her out the front court yard. The yard was bustling with men in armor, mounting their horses and loading supplies. The havoc ambiance in the yard did not match the tranquility of the beautiful cold morning. No one seemed to care that there was a young woman now among their convoy. She felt invisible but she didn't mind, seeing she was still intimidated by the Black Wolf's army. "We are moving base" Stefan did not hesitate revealing their plans although his answer was brief; she realized that she was now part of their plan. Elena was confused but she trusted Damon and whatever treaty they made the night before so she did not object when she was given her own horse to mount. As Stefan assisted her onto her horse, she saw Damon riding proudly and skillfully to the front of the line.

The crowd of soldiers suddenly went silent at the sight of him in his full metal armor. He looked incredibly fearsome and twice as big. The magnificent black horse he rode did nothing but enhanced his regal and powerful appeal. Elena finally understood how his enemy perceived him and how they would fear him. As if it was all a dream, she could hardly believe it was the same men she was with the night before.

He did not even notice her at the back of the line, as if her dark blue garment blended right in the crowd of metal armored soldiers and she felt strangely distant from that stranger. He raised a strong fist in the air and instantly the whole army started to move towards the hills and woods.

Stefan was faithfully by her side the whole journey. Elena suspect it was by order. He chatted away about the beautiful views he came across throughout his adventures instead of war stories she had expected to hear. She giggled at his description of some quirky personalities among the soldier men. "…and as it turns out, they fled together with all my garments while I was still fishing in the river…" Stefan told her enthusiastically. "How cunning…did Lord Salvatore punish them?" Elena asked while giggling breathlessly. "Not at all, in fact he was one of them…" Elena knew Damon loved to tease; one night with him had confirmed that. It was small talk and she found it to be rather pleasant. She took the chance to find out more about where they were going and why; "Where are we heading exactly?" to which Stefan gladly replied "Up North. We will be heading to the next fort in Newbrick."

"Newbrick?" They were heading in a direction opposite of her village and to a different district entirely. Elena found it hard to believe but it seemed that Damon was retreating from an inevitable collision with her father's defense army. She felt relieved and tried hard to suppress her joy in front of Stefan but instead just nodded as he spoke. "We are heading away from my home, what will become of me?" she could not resist asking, curious as to what Damon had instructed Stefan to do. "Your fate milady, is in his hands…" he pointed to the far front where the leader led his army through the woods.

Damon had given her what she wanted by not going into war, with her father specifically but what does that mean for her? What was the price of his agreement to her wish? Her heart raced as she wondered what Damon has planned for her. But if the price of peace in her village was her own freedom, Elena was willing to stay. She sighed heavily as her brown horse slowly trotted.

She saw Damon rode courageously as if he knew the woods like the back of his hand, a group of his trusted men loyally by his side. Elijah was on his left, riding his trusty silver horse while Alaric rode on his right side. Mason was the disciplinary, his dark brown horse galloped up and down the line of soldiers to keep them in check, but never far down enough to reach Elena and Stefan. As nightfall approaches, Damon gave orders for the legion of men to stop and set camp.

Stefan directed Elena's horse to a nearby stream, far from the rest. "We shall stay here for the night, it would take another day to reach the borders to Newbrick" Stefan explained. She dismounted her horse and sat on a protruding rock beside her. "We will set up the tents, it will take a moment…" he smiled at her and walked off to join the other men scampering in the woods. Not long after, there were sounds of hammering, men talking and laughing loudly behind her and the smell of fire in the air. A huge tent was being erected further from the smaller ones and she figured it would be Damon's.

One of the small tents was occupied, a meeting was held between the Lord and his trusted circle. "My Lord as you suggested, we will move up North. We will be joined by not less than 200 more men at Newbrick and will go around the mountains to reach Mystic Falls..." Elijah exclaimed simultaneously pointing at a map laid out in front of them. Although they were curious as to why Damon decided to change route, they never doubted his decisions. They planned the journey ahead and discussed their strategy of attack in case of an ambush. An hour later, Damon gave a nod to dismiss the meeting but Elijah stayed to talk to him in private.

His impose was strange, none the less, Damon granted it. "Sire, in my humble opinion, the initial plan of using Gilbert's daughter against him would give us a great advantage over the village he guards…" he was too timid to make direct eye contact. "Is this plan flawed, my Lord?" Elijah was fidgeting slightly as Damon's expression turned hard. Meeting Elena could possibly be the best or the worst thing that could happen to him. In merely 24 hour, she had managed to change his stubborn mind, crush his willpower, twisted him into knots of aching desire and yet there was a growing affection he felt for her. "Frankly Elijah, it's the worst plan you have ever come up with." He said harshly and stepped outside the tent, leaving Elijah alone to his own mumbling.

Elena continued waiting by the river, the sound of water flowing as her only company. She felt consoled when two men came towards her but as soon as the faces were unfamiliar to her, she felt anxious. "Come with us…" one man sternly said while grabbing her elbows. She was torn between flinging her fist at these men or trusting them to take her to Damon. Her heart decided on the latter and she let them led her further downstream. In the darkness and silence of the woods, they abandoned her there.

"Wait!" She called after them "…you're leaving me here?" They ignored her and soon vanished out of sight. It took her a moment to figure out that this was Damon's way of disposing her. She suddenly felt furious, she felt used and in the current situation she's in, she was vulnerably alone in the dark woods. She tried to trace back her steps, hoping to reach the camp site again but it was too dark and she ended up wandering further. Cold, hungry and alone, she almost gave up and was on the verge of crying. But her anger towards Damon fueled her will to keep moving.

'He truly is cold blooded and heartless as they say, worst in fact' she mumbled alone as she walked, using the stream as her compass. She had let him touch her and had trusted him and now looked where she'd end up. Unexpectedly, a rustling sound caught her attention, all thoughts ceased. She abruptly picked up a random tree branch from her feet and used it as her only weapon. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her senses instantly heightened. The sound suddenly came from a different direction and she knew she was being hunted by someone or something. She swung the branch fiercely in the air to ward off any wild animals.

And then it pounced on her from the back, a heavy mass that trapped her body and locked her arms to her side. She screamed and struggled for dear life but her attacker simply laughed. His deep chuckle was not foreign to her and she pushed free out of his grips. "You were supposed to flee." Damon sound disappointed as if it was a jubilant game of 'hide and seek'. "I enjoy the thrill of the chase, as well you should know" He stood over her as Elena leaned against a tree, struggling to catch her breath. "Is that what I am to you? Your play thing?" her expression was humorless.

Damon crossed his arms and thought of what to answer her while suppressing a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She was definitely amusing him in every way possible a woman could. There was something about her that challenged him, intrigued him and lured him. And she was oblivious to the things she made him feel. He had many 'play things' in the past, blondes, brunettes and red haired but Elena was absolutely not one of them. Her beauty, bold determination and intelligence were a few things about her that set her apart. "I haven't decided…" he took a step closer to her, longing to take her in his arms. Elena was doubtful; she was not certain how to act. She didn't fully trust him, his motives or what he wants from her. She knew that if he decides it, she will die. An internal battle was going on in her heart.

She was reluctant to let him come closer so he offered to share his plans with her. Damon persuaded her to talk a walk deeper in the woods and they climbed a hill not far away. From on top of it, Damon pointed out the high mountains. "My men and I will go around the mountains; Mystic falls will be waiting for us on the other side."

"But it will take us days, maybe weeks to go around it…" her eyes widen at his daring course of action. At that moment, a low breeze blew Elena's unruly hair into her eyes and she hastily pushed it aside. Damon thought that she looked absolutely precious and lovable, it was difficult to restrain himself from touching her. He tore his gaze away from her and brought his attention back to the landscape ahead. He pointed to a ledge in the distance. "What you see there is the border…" he guided her line of sight. "We will cross it tomorrow" he told her and Elena nodded slowly and then looked up at him, earnestly wanting to hear more but Damon only managed to stare into her enchanting brown eyes. His breath caught slightly as he finished his sentence, "There as well, is where I will hand you back to your family"

**A/N: *gasp* Oh my god! Stay tuned for the next chapter ;)**


	4. Chapter 5

**A/N: I really appreciate those who follow and enjoy this story *big hugs***

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story**

That night in Damon's large tent, Elena lay sleepless on layers of warm cotton and fur, her eyes fixed at a man sitting across her. Under the flickering light, Damon concentrated on sharpening his knife. The sound of metal scraping filled the space between them. She searched his face for some kind of emotion but he hid them well. Damon would glanced her way once in a while and she would quickly shut her eyes to pretend she was sleeping.

Elena was undecided about how she felt and it disturbed her deeply. She was grateful Damon was returning her back to her family which implied that he meant her no harm. She did miss her sister and brothers. Her mother must be worried sick; Elena imagined her poor mother grief stricken. However, she wasn't looking forward to being reunited with her father who was probably infuriated with her. Nevertheless, her life could resume as usual and things will be back to normal.

But somewhere in an unknown part of her, she felt heavy hearted. Saddened by the separation that will befall on her and the most mysterious yet captivating man she ever met. Their first meeting was enraging, provoking and she was frightened at the first sight of him. Somehow, his compelling gaze and tender touches did crazy things to her heart. He'd shown her a sensation so full of fervor, pleasure of new heights and as shameful as it was to admit, Elena savored every second of it. Just the thought of the intimacy they shared caused her heart to beat wildly. She didn't know how to say goodbye to Damon and wondered if he felt the same way.

He seemed unaffected and it was painful to assume that she meant nothing to him but just another girl he had crossed paths with. Tears stung her eyes and she twisted under the blankets to turn her body not to face him.

"You should get some sleep…" his deep voice broke the silence; his sharp senses could see right through her pretences. "I'm trying to…" her soft voice replied. She grew anxious when he finally finished sharpening his knife, curious if he would lay next to her for rest. But she felt relieved and was partly disappointed when he stepped outside, patrolling the camp site the entire night instead.

The amber hues of dawn peeked through the horizon at last after what seemed to be the longest night of his life. Damon prepared himself to make the short journey to the edge of the wood where the meeting was agreed upon. He took Stefan, Mason and a couple of his men as escort as well as protection. Elena was the last to assemble. Damon helped her mount his horse and in silence, they rode towards the outskirts of the woods.

While Elena was busy trying to decide where to place her hands; around his waist or on his shoulders, the air around them turned tense. Mason led the small company this time with Stefan trailing not far behind. Damon's horse was positioned in the center and scarcely surrounded by a few soldiers. He figured they had some privacy to talk freely. "I may have to tie your hands later, can I trust you to put on a good show?" a hint of playfulness in his voice. Elena could not help but smile as she relaxed her body against his back. "You don't want them to know that you've been kind to me?"

He laughed a hearty laugh and Elena quickly saved it in her memory for later use when she arrive home, knowing wholeheartedly that she will miss him. "I have a reputation to uphold Elena…." he turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of her smiling profile. "So do I…I may show some protest when the time comes"

God, he wanted to hold her so badly; Damon sighed at the thought. "I want to thank you…" she said in a low voice over his shoulder. "…for letting me go." to which he just nodded. She wanted to say so much more but could not find the courage to and instead wrapped her hands around his waist tightly as they reached their destination.

In the far end, they saw a group of men on horseback heading their way. Mason ordered half of the soldiers to stay hidden in the woods and Elena dismounted the horse with Damon who tied a lose knot around her wrist. As Elena walked to the front, he got back on his horse, bracing himself to face his enemy.

As the other group approached closer, Elena noticed that it was Robert who was sent to retrieve her. "Who is that man?" Stefan questioned and scrutinized the man's dark features. "That's Robert, my second cousin…" she had expected Jeremy to pick her up. Robert finally came face to face with Damon, keeping a safe distance. His men looked armed and ready which alerted Damon even more.

"I'm here on behalf of Sir John Gilbert…!" he announced. Elena had confirmed his identity earlier so Damon proceeded to giving her over. "There has been a….mistake. I wish to hand over Lady Elena back to her family" Even his voice was powerful; Elena saw Robert's knees quivered. She took a step forward and Robert studied her but did not look satisfied. "I figured you'd put yourself in trouble soon enough Elena…" his tone of voice condemned her and she became agitated under his judgmental gaze. When Stefan saw that Robert was not eager to accept her, he added "As you can see, she's unharmed. Well and alive…" Damon had a bad feeling about Robert and his conspicuous smirk. He placed his hands ready on his sword.

The air was thick with anticipation as the situation grew strained. Robert neither made any moves to retrieve her nor said anything to welcome her to his side. She remained stagnant and confuse between the two hordes of men while he narrowed his gaze on her. "Yes…she is still alive…UNFORTUNATELY!" In a split second, he unconcealed a knife and flung it straight at Elena. Only Damon's acute eyesight caught his actions and he shouted her name which caused Elena to quickly duck away from the knife but her movements were not fast enough as the knife sliced the flesh on her upper arm. Outraged, Damon roaring voice signaled an attack. A dozen of his men emerged from the woods and charged towards the Gilbert's contingent. Even in small numbers, the Black Wolf's army did not fail to unleash such terrifying violence. Chaos broke and blood spilled.

Robert had not expected such a mighty reaction and fled the scene, leaving some of his men to fight without realizing that he had become the prey to the Wolf. Damon was determined to hunt him down. "Stefan! Take Elena back to camp…!" he directed Stefan who swiftly carried the wounded Elena on to his horse and raced away back into the woods while the battle behind them went into full force. Mason was quite the warrior as he swung his sword left and right and when Damon started to chase after Robert, he followed suit in the thirst for blood and action.

Damon's superior stallion caught up with Robert and he swung his sword in a flash to cut the girth of Robert's saddle. The man fell from his horse moving at full speed, hurling on the sandy pathway. Some part of his leg broke from the hard fall and he was not able to save himself. Soon, Mason's cynical laughter and Damon circling him struck terror straight into his bones. He knew he was facing death and started to crawl away cowardly. Damon dismounted his horse, sparks of fury in his daunting expression. His powerful kick flipped Robert's body and he aimed his sword right at the throat. "I had mercy on your little village and bypass it through the mountains. If I change my mind and unleash my wrath to the people there, it will be your doing!" he bellowed with rage. He'd never had a more concrete reason to kill someone as he had at that moment. As soon as he saw blood seeping out Elena's arm, something in him snapped. Driven by blinding anger, he was ready to cut Robert into small pieces there and then.

"I want a war!" words escaped Robert together with the last shred of courage left in him. "I want a war so I can defeat you!" It was an unexpected motif behind his attack on Elena but a very stupid one at that. Mason continued laughing as if he was truly entertained. "This man has no chance at defeating anything but a broom and yet he wants war against us. Look at yourself!" Mason glared down at the pathetic man, scrambling on the ground. Damon knew this foolish weak man was not worth his time and left Mason to deal with him. "Do what you want…" he patted Mason on the back "…but let him live through it" it was a hidden code between them which meant Damon wanted Robert to suffer and Mason was beaming with joy at the freedom his leader had given him.

Back at camp, Stefan tied a cloth around Elena's arm to stop the bleeding but she was uneasy. "Stay still, Elijah will tend to your wound" Stefan forced Elena to stay inside the tent. "I have to go back…I can't let people get killed because of me" she looked utterly vexed at the thought, pacing back and forth in the tent. When Elijah came to stitch up her cut, she was instructed to sit quietly. In a short time, Damon arrived and rushed into the tent, his face in obvious concern. "How is she?" he asked as Elijah finished his task.

"I'm fine…" she answered. She looked distressed and he could sense she wanted to talk. With a mere wave of Damon's hand, all other men exited the tent, leaving them alone. He approached slowly and knelt down to Elena, who was sitting on a stool. He gently inspected her injury. It was not as bad as the amount of blood had initially indicated and it had put his mind at ease. "I don't understand…" her voice was shaky and Damon looked up to find her cheeks damp with tears. "Why would Robert want to harm me?" she searched his eyes for consoling answers but the truth was not pleasing to hear. "He had hoped I killed you. But seeing that you are still alive, he'd thought he'd finish the chore himself"

Elena's eyebrows snapped together, baffled by what she heard but Damon had spoken so calmly as if it was nothing unusual. She didn't say anything more but he knew what she wanted to know "If you have died, your father would have a reason to attack me. Your cousin wanted his chance at being a war hero by defeating me" He sneered mockingly at Robert's idiotic plans. Robert was not the first to harbor such high ambitions of killing Damon. Many man had the same idea but none ever succeeded. He was not surprised by the great lengths some people will go to realize their dreams. Every man wanted to reap the glory of slaying the Wolf if they had the chance.

While Elena was processing the true possibility of her own family member wanting her dead, Damon grab hold of her tattered sleeve and ripped it off her dress, using the piece of fabric to wipe away her tears. Elena simply gasped at his gesture, unrefined and yet thoughtful. "What did you do with Robert?"

"I left Mason to it…don't worry, he'll live"

"What about the rest of the men there? They were killed?" she questioned.

"Yes of course they were killed, why do you think my men charged at them? To shake hands?" he replied nonchalantly but Elena turned mortified. She forgot who she was talking to, they had called him the Black Wolf for a reason and she gulped at the thought of his raw power.

"Why not capture them?" Elena found herself appalled but kept her tone in check.

"Because I was furious… because they had the audacity to break an agreement…."

'and they hurt you' he added in his head, looking at her earnestly "I didn't want bloodshed but they had brought it upon themselves." He explained logically using the years of war common sense he gained. But Elena was not a soldier; it didn't make any sense to her. The only thing she figured out was that the ferocity of the attack that day was fueled by his anger.

**A/N: What are your thoughts so far? Is Damon the bad guy or just simply doing what he does best? Either way, there's just something really sexy about a bad boy imo ;)**


	5. Chapter 6

**A/N: I hope you guys are still with me on this. Thanks for reading.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story.**

Elena sat alone by the river one shady afternoon, her long fingers fiddled with a dry leaf as she stared idly at the clear water. Her mind was racing with thoughts but she was tired, tired from over thinking. With the incident still fresh in her mind, Elena wondered who else wanted her dead. If news of Robert's betrayal reached her father, he will surely be severely punished. But from what she heard, Mason had taken care of that matter expertly. She learnt that Mason had tortured Robert and inhumanely amputated one of his leg; which meant that horrible stories of men losing their limbs after war with Damon's army was largely Mason's execution.

She wanted to blame someone for all the animosity, all the agony around her but in the end; she found it pointless to blame anyone. The only culprit and puppet master to all these men fighting against each other was war itself. Elena was startled when Mason came from behind her, clearing his throat to make his presence known. He was not accustomed to interacting with the opposite sex let alone expressing feelings and thoughts to them. The ferocious commander found himself nervous and stuttered when he spoke. "Lady Elena…" he stood closer behind her as Elena tilted her head up to greet him with a weak smile. "…I came to apologize…"

Elena stopped him mid sentence and stood to face him "You really don't have to. Considering the circumstances, you were kind enough to let Robert live. If it were up to my father, Robert will be dead along with his conniving men" Elena knew her father's capabilities well. Mason nodded, feeling as if they have reached a mutual understanding. He then told her that Damon had sent for her.

Waiting for her in the tent, Damon was lost in deep contemplation. "You sent for me?" her soft voice played at his heart strings and he abruptly stood to welcome her. "I have a matter to discuss with you" he was eager to share his days worth of deliberation. He offered her a seat on the stool he had sat on.

She was looking at him eagerly; the tenderness in her eyes pierced him. Damon planned words in his head to find the best way to speak to her. "I don't trust anymore of your family members to come and fetch you…putting your life in danger again" his concern touched her but she remained quiet, curious at what he planned to do. "You will come with me to Newbrick…" it was more of an order rather than a request. Elena didn't know what to say or if she even had the freedom to choose. Her eyes widened as he continued "…if any of them are sincerely interested in your wellbeing, they will have to come to Newbrick and risk facing 200 more of my men there"

He raised an eyebrow at her as if to check if she had any objections. Elena thought for a while, biting her lower lip. He had a point, Elena herself do not know who was rooting for her death and who wanted to save her. She knew that her father will undoubtedly come to her rescue once in Newbrick. And upon seeing her alive, there will be no reason for any conflict. "Very well but I want to write to my sister, explaining my position and what had happened a few days ago" she made her bold demand and Damon interceded "Fine, but…a letter with my consent "he said sternly and passed her a piece of paper and an inked quill to write. Elena raised her own eyebrow at how persistently Damon wanted her to write the letter right that instant.

He simply stood back and crossed his arms, looking down at her with a devilish grin. Elena accepted his challenge and sat up straighter to begin writing on her lap. "Dear Gabriel…." She said aloud as she wrote. Damon walked a little far off, listening intently. "…I am writing to you from a horribly suffocating small tent, apparently writing in private is not a luxury I am granted…" Damon turned to see her glaring at him and he just smirked at her.

"…however you must know that I am safe and well. My abductors had planned on returning me but unfortunately it was Robert who came to meet me…." She carried on, explaining the events at the Newbrick borders and how Robert attempted to murder her. She also explained that she will be in Newbrick and only trust her father to come for her there.

"Please tell father that I'm sorry for causing such distress. I know that I have been nothing but a thorn in his side, he must be furious at me…" she continued to voice her thoughts, her tone solemn and became slower but still heard. Damon felt an ache in him as he listened. "Do send mother my love, and tell her not to worry herself sleepless…" she was running out of paper to write and she had so much more to express. It had been a week since she'd seen her family. She decreased the size of her hand writing to cramp more words. "Tell Jeremy, Frederick, Timmy, Wilson, Richard, Jonathan and Gary that I miss them terribly…"

Curious of the long list of names, Damon had to ask "How many brothers do you have?" as he came closer next to her. "Six…Gary is my German Sheppard" she answered seriously while still immersed in her writing. Damon was stunned, a little amused and surprised to discover this side of Elena. He had known her as a strong, brave young woman with cunning abilities. She was in his eyes an alluring desirable woman. But as he watched her wrote and listened to her expressing her honest affection to the people she loved, he saw that she was also an innocent, vulnerable girl who was frightened; a girl who missed her home, her siblings and her dog. She cherished them; her purity was somehow uplifting and had moved him. Something was extremely delicate about her and Damon wanted to protect her with his life.

"Love, Elena…" she completed her letter and signed at the bottom of it. Damon hovered over her shoulders, feeling something missing in her letter. "Your letter is not accurate. You must add my exact words…"

"There isn't any more space…" she complained, angry that Damon wanted to add his own words to an otherwise very personal letter. He gave her a new piece of paper and encouraged her to write more.

"My abductor, who is kind as well as highly respected…" his voice loud and urged her to write as Elena rolled her eyes.

"…has been very hospitable." He walked back and forth behind her as he spoke, hands clasped behind his back.

"He told me, that he admired my fighting skills although not as capable as his…" Elena grunted but continued writing. She grew annoyed with each passing second.

"He is a trustworthy man, who will keep me safe" he carried on, ignoring the fact that Elena was close to shredding the paper into a million pieces. What was the point of sending her sister a letter full of his egotistical boosting remarks, Elena wondered. She lazily wrote his words out with deteriorating effort, her hand writing not as neat as the previous letter.

"He also told me, that he admired my bewitching brown eyes…"her hand suddenly froze at his comment; uncertain if this was really what he wanted her to tell Gabriel. She thought she had listened wrongly.

"Not a moment passed without me in his thoughts…" he extended his words "…anger had driven him half mad at the sight of me getting hurt…" Elena remained very still, her heart thudded like a maddened thing. Suddenly he was standing in front of her, capturing her chin with the ends of his fingers and persuaded her to meet his smoldering blue eyes.

His eyes raked the temptatious young beauty before him and she returned his gaze. She knew now that Damon thought of her as much as she thought of him. There was no denying the deep compelling attraction between them. He cared for her enough to want to see her reunited with her family, but was also concern for her life. His reaction towards Robert had proved his level of compassion for her and how seeing her hurt would trigger such anger in him. After days of being in the dark, Damon finally revealed to her where she stood in his heart and what she had meant to him. That realization caused her pulse to leap.

He fixed his gaze on her tantalizing lips and lowered his face to hers. Without protest, she let him come closer and accepted his warm gentle kiss as their lips brushed against each other. The instant they touched, a longing exploded in her, wanting to feel the incredible pleasure she had found in his arms before. Her arms went around his neck and she let him pull her up against his body as his hands circled her.

Her breast pressed firmly to his hard chest sent waves of alarmed awareness through him. Damon groaned and deepened the kiss. Elena arched her body and let her hand slide through the soft hair at his nape as his hungry mouth devoured hers. When he finally lifted his head from hers, he was breathless and his entire body was filled with desire. Her addictive taste never failed to send his senses whirling as his eyes darkened with need. Someone called him from outside the tent and prevented him from doing things he'd been yearning to do for days. He gave her another bruising kiss before he left for hunting, leaving her with an anticipated promise that sent warmth spreading through her body "…until tonight" his hot breath at her ear caused a tingling sensation traveling down her body.

That night around the crackling fire, Elena sat with Damon and his men to enjoy their meal; a large boar he triumphantly hunted down. A bearded man and his balding friend stood to sing as the rest of them applauded. It was a much known song among the soldiers and they sang aloud cheerfully. The amount of ale they consumed did very little to improve their singing and Elena laughed at the sight of drunken men trying their best to sing in tune. A few more of them stood to dance and she felt her spirit lifted. Her brothers loved to sing and dance especially at family gatherings and she clapped her hands to cheer the soldiers on.

Damon leaned back in his seat and watched her exuberant display of ardor. Her laughter was contagious among his men, even Alaric the usually serious lad, expressed amusement as the atmosphere turned unexpectedly festive. Damon wasn't sure if there was anything to celebration about but perhaps Elena's amiable presence was enough to boost his men's morale. He kept his authoritative appearance as the highly feared leader well intact and studied Elena from the rims of his ale mug.

After one song came to an end, a man with a weather beaten lute came to approach Elena. "Does the fair lady have any request for my humble instrument to play?" he gave her a crooked yet charming smile and Elena thought it to be hilarious. She thought for a while and then excitedly answered her favorite song "My Lady Hunsdon's Puffe…" her huge smile mesmerized him as well as the others there. "A very good choice" he strode away, strumming the strings of his lute.

Her mind wondered off back home at the familiar melody played. She remembered how her brothers would entertain her with their musical talents. Gabriel and she would dance carelessly as their mother cheered them on. Lost in the happy memories of her family and their smiling faces, Elena hadn't realized the song was coming to an end. Damon on the other hand, decided that he has had enough, not wanting to share anymore of her attention with others. Unknowingly, his possessiveness towards her was growing each day along with his craving for her. She felt the gentle brush of Damon's warm hands on her back and he leaned in closer to her side. His incredible closeness made her heart flung against her ribcage. "Let's take a ride…" he whispered a seductive invitation to her and then stood to take her hand in his, leaving the rest to their enjoyment.

He lead her to his horse and helped her mount it, in the dark cold night, they rode out into the woods together. Elena found the courage to press her body against his back, partly to share some warmth. She doesn't have a clue to where they were headed and did not want to worry herself but instead trusted Damon. They travelled quite a distance before reaching a beautiful lake in the middle of a glade. Elena's eyes widened at the sight and silently gasped. The light of the full moon was reflected by the sparkling water and illuminated the lake. Fireflies imitated the stars and scattered around the glade, among the grass and trees. It was the most captivating view she had ever seen. "It's so beautiful" she exclaimed as Damon assisted her off the saddle, surely satisfied with her reaction.

She drew nearer to the waters and basked in its serenity and picturesque beauty. As she stared up at the starry sky, Damon came from behind her and pushed her soft brown hair to one side, raining gentle kisses on the smooth curve between her neck and shoulders. Elena's heart started hammering as he continued tracing the outline of her neck with his insistent kisses.

** A/N: To add lemons or not to add lemons? ?Hmmm...**


	6. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello Hello..sorry for the late update..wasn't feeling it. Needed to gather some emotions to write smut. (Hey, its not as easy as you think)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story.**

The night was silent; everything else around them faded and the sound of their heavy breathing and rapid heartbeats were all that's left. Damon wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her back to him tighter. He wanted her, wanted to possess her, consume her with all his senses and become one with her body. The thought of her life threatened days ago wrecked him and not able to distant himself anymore, he had revealed to her how he felt. She had to know that he desperately needed her, how more desirable she became with each passing day and how she charmed her way into his heart.

Elena softened her rigid body as soon as his lips fell on the sensitive skin along her neck, letting her head fall to one side in surrender. His touch had unexplainable powers over her and made her body feel a thousand sensations at once. She sighed heavily and shut her eyes to lose herself in his arms. Damon moved his right hand upwards to catch her heaving breasts in his eager palm, tugging at the bodice of her dress. His own heart beat loud at his throat. He used his other hand to turn her face to him and as he looked into her eyes, he captured her lips in a slow but burning kiss that tore a soft moan from her.

When he turned her body to him, his heavy lidded blue eyes fell on her chest where her full breasts were threatening to spill over the bodice. He groaned at her perfect curves and swept his gaze over her lust filled expression; she wanted him too. With that look in her eyes, any hope for a leisurely evening was lost. He needed to bury himself in her, fast. Desire was exploding through him and he kissed her again, more urgently this time. He pulled her even tighter to him as if to merge their skin with each other and the bulge below his waist probed her thigh.

Elena suddenly resurfaced from the dream like state she was in, and pressed her hands against his hard chest to put a gap between them. "Have you decided?" she asked breathlessly, her lips swollen from his assault. His smoldering eyes searched her face, dazed by the sudden loss of her sweet mouth and without any idea what she was talking about. "Decide what?" his hands restlessly roamed her body.

"Have you decided what I am to you?"

"Perhaps now is not the time Elena…" Damon rested his forehead on hers, struggling to slow his breath and thundering heart. She was serious; she wanted to know before she let herself fall into the depth of pleasure and a sense of connection she knew had affected her before. And if she let herself fall again, his grips will surely leave a permanent mark on her soul forever. If she had gone home with Robert before then it won't matter what her status was but she's there and will remain in his company. "Am I a mistress?" she heard herself asked. Her tone of voice told him it was a position she loathed. "No, a mistress requires staying around, and you're leaving…" He inhaled with his eyes still shut, trying to figure out the answer to her question.

"Am I a prisoner?" her eyes narrowed questioningly, she was just as confused as he was and Damon found himself chuckling. "Prisoners do not get to choose which song be played during dinner…" he took her hand and tugged her towards a tree on the side of the lake. Elena followed on, throwing suggestions at him, still very curious "A slave girl? A guest? An amicable enemy? …" as they stride through the grass and under a tree. Suddenly he jerked her body to his, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist

"A lover…" he simply threw back at her with a seductive smirk, finally finding the right description that suited her. Elena's mouth gapped to form words but failed to deliver them as she stood in shock. She knew what lovers are but she was not well versed with what it meant. Naturally, lovers had to…well love each other of course; she thought to herself as she stared back into his compelling eyes but she wasn't quite sure. She loved being around him, that much she was certain. "W-What does it mean?" Her innocence made Damon's eyes filled with laughter and admiration. He had forgotten she was a young maiden barely a week ago before she had the misfortune of meeting him. "It means we do exactly what we did before in my bed chamber, remember?"

"Oh, that…" she blushed a deep shade of red all over her skin.

"A lover is much more dignified than a mistress…" he explained, thoroughly enjoying the bewildered look on her beautiful face. He watched her comprehend his proposal and hoped she would agree. This way he can protect her, grant her whatever she needed, have the pleasure of her company and when the time comes, they can part peacefully; he wishfully thought. Meanwhile, Elena thought deeply about his offer and whether she was willing to be Lord Salvatore's lover. It didn't make much sense to her. "So you are telling me, My Lord, that my father will come all the way to Newbrick to save me from my lover? It's hardly a life threatening situation, don't you think? If my father knew about this, he'll finish what Robert started, I assure you…" she freed herself from Damon's possessive arms and strolled off in another direction, seriously considering the mess she was in. The very fact that she wasn't trying to kill him at that moment was somehow treasonous.

"Milady, I see no reason to complicate things. You seemed…agreeable… last time" He leaned against the tree bark and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. Feeling torn between her loyalty to her family and the new feelings she had towards him, she bluntly denied "You're wrong. I had every intentions of killing you had you not threw the dagger out the window…" she lifted her chin in arrogance, refusing to look like a foolish infatuated girl who lost her head at his touch.

Damon called her bluff "What about after I got rid of the dagger?" as he crossed his arm, his eyes gazed curiously at her. Elena's body froze; she was battling to make certain what that had meant to her too. That night, he had yielded to her wishes, they shared a tender moment, she somehow knew him and a sense of understanding lingered between them. It had felt natural to submit herself to him. It had felt so right that her stubborn conscience were instantly silenced. He had sent her to unparalleled heights of desire and unequalled depths of satisfaction, it was hard to deny.

Damon saw the turmoil and doubts she had in her eyes as Elena stared blankly into the distance. She hadn't realized that she had been quiet for a while until Damon came to face her, his smile coxed her for an answer. She swallowed hard before answering, "I thought I was your prisoner in exchange for the peace you agreed to fulfill…" her voice almost disappointed but he was not satisfied.

"No…" he refused to accept her answer. Damon rested his hand along the soft curve of her jaw and chin, letting his hand savor the softness of her complexion. "It had meant more than that" Damon remembered the way her body had melted onto his, the way she had let him explore her in abandonment, their kisses were fiercely passionate and unlike any other he had before with countless of women. He knew a spell was cast after that night because his thoughts never wonder further than to her very existence. He knew those feelings were not simply imagined, he persuaded her to reveal her true feelings with a voice as gentle as his touch and she felt her knees trembled. She watched his lips curved into a lazy, intimate smile and his eyes narrowed at her as if he knew exactly what was on her clouded mind and in her puzzled heart.

"Elena…" his voice hoarse with need. He ran his fingers through her brown hair and closed any gap between them; not wanting to wait any longer for her decision. By the looks in her eyes, he knew she needed nothing if not some persuasion. He reunited their lips and felt her return it more eagerly, more accepting of him. It was clear that her doubts had left her mind completely and she put herself at the mercy of whatever force that was pulling them together. So he plunged his tongue into her mouth and caressed her as her body responded.

She moulded her desirable body to the hard planes of his muscles, and he ducked his hands under the length of her dress to cup her derriere, pushing her hips into vibrant contact with his aching member. To his surprise, she grinded her hips against him and his eyes rolled back in its socket. It was hard to convince himself that she was an inexperience virgin days ago when she had learnt so fast from just two love makings with him.

Her hands moved to circle his neck and she crushed his lips harder onto hers, kissing him with violent passion. From the intense wanting for him, she had somehow turned into a fiery vixen. His initial control was threatened by the courage she slowly found. As the thought of fighting for dominance aroused him even more, Damon pushed her back against the tree bark, wedging his thighs between hers. Without any coy hesitation, Elena replied by kissing the top of his chest at the open of his shirt and shocked him motionless. Her hands slid down his chest and felt his muscles reflex under her touches. Unable to endure anymore, he unfastened the rest of her bodice; revealing her to his burning gaze and his lips went to her aching breasts.

When his knees gave way, she ended up straddling him as he hastily removed the fabric constricting his erection. Not certain what to do, Elena looked down at him with questions in her eyes until he grabbed either sides of her hips and guided it down on him. She was damp and ready. The hot tip of his manhood entered her slowly and she stretched to accommodate him, causing them both to moan out in agonizing pleasure. She sank herself lower onto his lap and he entered her deeper, her cries of pleasure encouraging him on to push farther. He lifted her hips and withdrew completely out of her warmth only to guide her back down on him. As he moved her up and down his length, her nails dug into his shoulders and their eyes locked. Their intense gaze broke only to give way for their lips to meet again.

As if not needing any further lessons, Elena started to rock herself, increasing her rhythm after every stroke. Her whole body twisted with so much desire. She parted her thighs more to give him deeper access into her body. Damon swore he was losing his mind at the feel of her tight core around him. He brought his lips to her swollen breasts, elevating her senses. Then, her body began to soar, reach and clasp him tighter. He watched her come undone, shuddering uncontrollably in his arms as waves after waves of sensation washed over her. Elena wrapped her weak limbs around his midriff, his muscles still strained as he rammed his hips upwards into her silken warmth, to find his own release moments later.

They sat there in each other's embrace for a while until sounds of the night slowly returned. Damon trailed kisses on her bare shoulders and waited for their breaths to settle. Elena's eyelids grew heavy, as if her body was robbed of the ability to move at all; she let her head rest on his chest. Her mind was blank except for feelings of warmth and complete. Damon stared down at her lovingly "To answer your question on what you are to me…" he whispered and stroked her hair back gently "…you are mine"

* * *

John Gilbert sat in front of the fire place and watched the fire eat away the woods. There were mumblings behind him that he was not interested to hear. His sons were arguing with each other; "Father, we must go to her now! Bring all the men we have to the woods. Surely Salvatore will not see it coming…" Frederick was pacing the length of the room. "Of course he expects it idiot! That's the reason he took Elena in the first place!" Wilson retorted. "He wants us to back away from battle or she will be dead. If we attack them, we're practically marching to Elena's funeral. Is that your brilliant suggestion?" The two siblings nearly got at each other's throats. The air was tense in Gilbert's household ever since Elena's abduction. All her brothers were restless, their mother was devastated while John mostly sat in silence, in deep contemplation and concern.

"Wilson! Do not speak so bluntly as to distress our mother more." Jeremy stood, signaling to Miranda who was sitting by a corner with tears streaming down her cheeks. "If he wants her dead, he would not have wanted to give her back to us. Have faith that Robert will bring good news with him. But right now I am more worried of you two killing each other than I am worried of Elena's safety. We all know she can defend herself well…" Jeremy said calmly as the eldest son and instilled hope in their mother. "You are right Jeremy" John finally spoke, his eyes never left the fire. After days of thinking about her, John was at first, furious with her but the anger slowly dissipated into a realization that Elena was the stronger of the two daughters he had. If it were Gabriel that was taken, her chances were slimmer. "Elena can defend herself very well. I've underestimated her far too many times to know that"

John remembered the times she trained for archery longer than she was required to, picked up a sword half her weight and snuck out to chase wild horses with her brothers. She had managed to do everything John Gilbert told her not to; tearing anger from him time and time again. She pushed the limit one day and decided to join a night ambush dressed in her brother's armor which led to her punishment; locked up in her room for months but the bigger punishment was losing her father's trust. These actions of hers that had angered him now comforted him and gave him confidence in her abilities. Yes, she was a hand's full but she never gave up on the search for his approval. A small smile played at the corner of his lips, the first one for a long time.

** A/N: I'm just going with the flow with this story. Guess what? I am just as curious about what will happen as you all are. hehe**

**I love some feedback. **


	7. Chapter 8

**A/N: If you haven't noticed, I'm writing two stories at once. Who here doesn't have a life? ME...ME...ME..**

**But whatever. I love Damon and I love Elena and I love my readers and this is my commitment to all (so please leave some comments and make me happy :P )**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story.**

Suddenly the door to the Gilbert's house burst opened. Two men came rushing in and to everyone's dismay; Robert was being supported in the middle. His frame was weak and bloody. The weight of him was completely supported and he was unable to walk. As the young Gilberts approached their wounded cousin, only then they realized one of his legs was missing.

"Good god! Robert…" John came to his side as they set Robert's limp body on a reclining chair. All of them were in shock, speechless at the gruesome sight of him, barely alive. "We found him at the side of the road, just outside the village" one escort told John. It was needless to say, they all assumed the worst from the negotiation held with Lord Salvatore.

"Quick get him some water…and call the physician" Miranda told his son and rushed to Robert.

"What happened, my dear boy? Tell us…" She asked after life was restored in him by a swig of water. His voice was rasped and he could barely form words but it was clear enough to be understood "W-We were attacked…" He had lost a lot of blood and by his appearance, had been limping all the way back to them after losing his leg. His clothes haggard, bruised and badly wounded, Robert looked no less than a man mauled by a wild animal.

"…and Elena, what news of her?" Tears gathered in Miranda's eyes.

"Elena…she's… dead!" those words seemed to use up all his energy as he breathlessly said but the Gilberts looked at him in utter disbelief. Miranda simply shut her eyes and allow her days of speculation be confirmed by her nephew as voices broke in the background. "The whole set up was a lie? A mere excuse to slaughter?" Wilson sounded appalled and disgusted. A solemn silence engulfed the room as the reality of Elena's death sank harshly in her family's hearts. Miranda felt her insides pulled out and ripped apart; while her sons' escalating anger overcame their grief ever so quickly.

"That….that beast has gone too far! We must find him and end him NOW!"

"He never wanted to bargain any deal in the first place! This is a war crime! Blasphemy…"

"We must avenge our sister!"

Anger was erupting from one corner of the house to the other until the roof shook; only John was quiet, immersed in hatred mixed with reluctant acceptance of Elena's death. His daughter was dead and for no apparent reason other than a manipulative war game, played in the skillful hands of a merciless war Lord. Regret fell over him. It was hard to understand why Salvatore would play up such a charade of a kidnapping only to attack a small group of messenger unless it was to provoke him. That possibility was also caught on by one of his son.

"This makes perfect sense father…"Jonathan voiced out. "…Salvatore has been attempting to penetrate our borders for years now to get to Mystic Falls. We are his only route to get there and our army has been on defense ever since. He wants us to be provoked enough to attack them instead as a change in strategy…"

"Aye, this is true. We all know that blood thirsty savage wants to get to Mystic Falls through us, and his foul play proves him to be a man with no honor or enough dignity to fight us fairly…"another voice came forth.

Somewhere in his chaotic mind, John took heed of his family's words. In all his years as a soldier, John had never witnessed such cruel deceit. He felt his blood boiled as he deciphered what this could mean to the war between him and Salvatore taking into consideration the advice of his sons and Elena's death that shall not go to waste. "Father, we must act fast…" Jeremy came from behind him, his voice sharp.

John glared into the fire. It seemed less fierce in comparison to his immeasurable rage. And as John's mighty fist forcefully hit the bricks of the wall next to the fire place, causing it to crumble under his strength, he came to a monumental decision;

"Assemble the army…" was the order they all had been waiting for.

* * *

"Move out!" his commanding voice echoed far in the woods. Instantly, sounds of galloping horses and marching men commenced in respond to his orders. Elena hastily got on her horse. Due to her desire to bathe in the shivering cold river that morning, she had to travel up stream to avoid hundred pairs of male eyes which in turn had caused her more time. And now the army had marched on with her lagging far behind. Although she was acquainted with the brown colt she was given, he was disobliging to her summons to go any faster. She clicked her tongue and try kicking him gently with her heel but to no avail while the troop furthered itself from her and her lazy horse.

"Having problems milady?" a warm and friendly voice startled Elena. She hadn't expected anyone to be near her and felt a little nervous in his presence. "Well my horse seems to have a mind of his own, particularly stubborn today…" she replied the man's smile. "Curtis…" he rode alongside her. "…the horse's name is Curtis. Try giving commands with his name."

Elena was confident she could handle her steed especially when her hobby was chasing wild horses in the fields with her brothers. Back home, she had Melanie. If she had caught, tamed and trained Melanie, surely she could overcome 'Curtis'. "Alright…"she raised her chin and gripped the reins tighter as she prepared to give it a try. "Curtis…faster" she kicked again but was replied with a shake of the head and no increase in speed at all. Alaric's hearty chuckle made the atmosphere between them somewhat familiar and relaxing.

"Are you new at horseback?" Alaric took the reins from Elena's hands and started tugging her horse forward to move at his own speed. "Honestly, I feel insulted. I was taught horseback riding since I was three…" she naturally fought back when challenged.

"Huh…that young?"

"This horse Sir Stefan gave to me is probably retaliating…"

"A protest?" Alaric felt his face muscles stretched; muscles he hasn't used in a long time, as he suppressed a smile.

"Of course, I would too if I was named Curtis, that's a horrible name! My grandfather was named Curtis and he did nothing but sat and slouched. Your entire life could be scarred with a name like that" Alaric's head fell and she saw his shoulders shake but had no idea he was trying hard to mute his laughter. Elena spoke bluntly without knowing that Alaric was the owner of that horse. Thus, he had felt responsible for helping her manage it and left the troop to find and assist her with Curtis.

"My mistake milady…" he suddenly admitted to a confused Elena and then patted Curtis' head. "…I'm sorry Curtis for scarring your…entire life…I hope the other horses didn't mock you too much for such a horrendous name" he finally broke out in laughter.

"Oh…" Elena was stunned but gave out a sigh of relief when Alaric showed no signs of anger. She heard him to be the most serious one among them all. But ever since she encountered Damon and his men, every rumor about them proved to be untrue. It was said, the army was heartless and cold and yet they welcomed her with warmth and music that night at dinner. It was said, Alaric was a man with a dark past whose life purpose was to relived his murderous tendencies on the battle fields and know nothing of joy but there he was, laughing with tears in his eyes in front of her.

But the biggest lie was about how monstrous Lord Salvatore was. She wished she could tell the world how wrongly they had judged Damon Salvatore. His icy blue eyes did not look at her with villainous intentions and his hands never feel upon her with cruel force. He was nothing short of an honorable gentleman, a man with principles and so much compassion. Unfortunately, all of that was tucked away and hidden under his heavy metal armor called 'duty' and he was forever misunderstood, seen as what he has to be instead of what he truly was.

A third party suddenly came between them that snapped Elena out of her wandering thoughts. "Milady, come with me…" Stefan glanced at Alaric before taking the reins from his hand. "Where are you taking her?" An odd question came from Alaric who was enjoying Elena's company before Stefan's intrusion. "Haven't you noticed we were conversing? It's very rude of you Stefan…" Alaric chuckled at him.

"Oh, I'm aware of that…in fact your laughter was heard all the way in the front of the line…" he shot Alaric a conspicuous glance that he quickly understood and sneered. Elena just looked back and forth between the two in puzzlement and wondered why she was being passed around like an inanimate object. "That's typical of him isn't it?! Well why not he come back here and get her himself?" Alaric snatched Curtis' reins back from Stefan's hand.

"My thoughts exactly…"

Three heads turned to see Damon on his black steed, right next to them, smirking as he took the reins to Elena's horse as if he was the only one truly entitled to it and guided her to the very front of the contingent. Alaric and Stefan were left flabbergasted as they watched Elena took their positions next to Damon in the front.

Not fully understanding the status Damon had placed her in when he invited her to ride in the front, Elena felt strange when words and whispers suddenly broke among the army of men.

By allowing her to ride next to him, Damon had unspokenly granted her a high honor and elevated her rank. She now had authority equal to Elijah, Mason or Stefan, allowed to be in his trusted circle. Although she had been with the troops for a week; that moment, her presence was officially declared and acknowledged. Damon's commanders and advisors glanced at her with confused expression and she felt anxious while Damon rode quietly as if nothing has changed.

He never spoke a word to her throughout the journey. Elena was doubtful about what to say to him; he was seemingly a different person when among his men, stern and expressionless. Afraid she might say the wrong words, Elena decided to stay quiet.

By the evening, the marching troop halted and they rested in an open glade. Food supply was running low and they had only bread to break and share. Damon took Elena to a secluded clearing where fallen tree barks provided them seats. He took her hand in his as he assisted her, a gesture that warmed up her entire body. Like porcelain treasure, he treated her with so much care and gentleness that Elena could not help but admire.

Dusk was approaching in a few hours and she wondered if they would set camps like before. "Are we staying here for the night?" she pinched a small bite out of her bread. "No, we need to keep moving, time is running out. We'll cover more distance until midnight and then take a few hours of rest." He drank some water and then intently watched her eat. He propped his elbow on one knee as he studied her. It was apparently interesting to watch her chew.

"Can you keep up with me?" he teased when she turned her body slightly to evade his stare."If you're tired, I could just leave you here and come back for you when the war is over" she turned to see his seductive smile and fought the urge to laugh.

"You mean in a decade? I can't promise you I'll still be here…" she smiled back warmly. He chuckled while his captivating eyes never left hers, admiring her every delicate features. Things between them were far more comfortable after that night at the lake. Their guards were down and Elena was quite certain her heart was open. Something between them has changed and instead of repelling his closeness, she craved it now, her body almost demanding to be near him. Perhaps Damon too had the same urges therefore invited her to ride alongside him earlier.

Suddenly it occurred to her the seriousness behind his light teasing words. Her eyes widened and her throat felt dry as she recalled his words over and over again in her head. Did he really have the intentions to find her after the war? Did he mean he wanted to be with her if circumstances allowed it? Did she unknowingly make Lord Salvatore a vow? That she wanted him to find her once the war was over?

It was difficult to answer these questions when her own feelings were not sorted out. This connection, whatever it was between them was complicated enough to make sense in the present, let alone in the future. She had never given it much thought and the possibility of the war even ending any time soon. Her head started to spin with riddles and she instantly lost her appetite.

Damon took the leftover bread dangling from her hands and ate it, oblivious to the life crisis Elena was experiencing that very moment. As a way to tell time, he looked up towards the sky and found it darkening. Soft sunlight was reflected in his ocean blue eyes that entranced her…they were too beautiful to be real. It was enough to silence her thoughts and she knew those eyes will haunt her forever. She watched as he dusted off breadcrumbs from his hands, ready to make a move. "We should get moving" his deep voice alerted her.

Regret fell over her when she remembered that the moment he stepped out to join his army, he was no longer the kind man she knew but instead turned into a cold emotionless war lord with metal armor not just around his body but his heart too. She anticipated the harsh silence that will inevitable fall between them for hours to come as she sighed aloud unknowingly.

Damon turn to smiled at her as she stared at the ground disappointingly. As if he could read her, he instinctively placed his hand at her jaw and lifted her alluring face to him. He tilted his head to one side and his jaws tightened as he reached for her lips. His cool lips brushed against hers gently, reassuring her of his feelings that took Elena completely by surprise.

Their kiss was brief, sweet, passionate and unmistakably public. She blushed at the thought of his men standing guard not far away as her heart thudded against her rib cage. embarrassed by their open display of affection that even married people dare not attempt. But Damon didn't mind it. He simply smirked at her seductively, satisfied that the sweet reminder of her lips would give him the strength to carry on the rest of their route.

**~Swoon~ sexy Damon. Sorry for the late update. Will try to work faster :)**


	8. Chapter 9

** A/N: So...tired...from...writing *panting*. Fuhh this took me a while. Sorry for the late update but hope you enjoy this one. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in the story**

Jeremy tightened the saddle around his horse. It suddenly kicked its back heel and he realized he was being rough with his animal. Jeremy took a deep breath and tucked his anger back inside the deep pockets of his heart. But as soon as he did, tears started to form at the inner corners of his eyes. Since news of Elena's death, her family's emotional balance has been at the extreme ends; either shattering grief or exploding anger. Most of her brothers and including John had decided on the latter.

Jeremy decided to concentrate on the task John had given him, a responsibility to lead his own army to ambush Damon Salvatore. His father's words played endlessly at the back of his mind as he contemplated his move.

_'We will split into two troops, I will lead my men to the west and you, son, shall lead yours to the east. We will come at them from both directions in the woods tomorrow night and trap that scoundrel. Be sure you close his exit towards the north…', John pointed at the map laid in front of him and then narrowed his gaze at his first born. 'My journey to the west of the woods will take a day therefore my men and I shall deploy first. Meet me there and attack at my command…'_

_Jeremy watched John mount his horse, loyally accompanied by Wilson and Richard. He was about to leave but remained still as he gave Jeremy one last glance. 'My boy… do not be discouraged by the passing of our beloved Elena …" John reassured when he saw hesitation in him. '…for we have an advantage over the Black Wolf's army…a stricken grief. It will be yours and my fuel to fight braver and stronger.' Jeremy simply nodded. _

_With that John and 43 of his men rode out into the woods at dawn, armed and alive with vengeance. _

The noon next day, Jeremy prepared his troops to move in from the east as instructed by John. His journey was much shorter and if he moved now, he would reach his destination by dusk. The dark will be on their side against Salvatore's men who did not anticipate their ambush. Behind him, his soldiers lined up and prepared themselves. Villagers young and old were among them, adding numbers to the small army, all of them as driven to fight as the Gilbert brothers. Elena was not just dear to her family but to whosoever she had the pleasure of meeting. There was no one who never heard of her bravery and spirit or came across her kindness and generosity. It was only fit that her death, had to be avenged.

"Brother, the men have gathered…we are ready" Jonathan told Jeremy.

"Very good, Jonathan. Have you told mother?" he adjusted his helmet.

"Aye…" they both turned toward the house where Miranda looked over them through one of the window. Their mother's eyes were darkened by tears and her face solemn with hopelessness. The sight of her sparked something deep in the two brothers and they felt a demanding urge to watch Damon Salvatore die.

With a nod, Jeremy led his army of 30 men towards the woods.

His horse galloped faster and faster through the meadow that led to the forest as the ground thudded under their steps…but a sudden barrier startled his steed and it bucked to a sudden halt. A young girl with disarrayed hair stood in his way. Her eyes filled with determination as if she feared nothing at the moment.

"Gabriel…have you gone mad?"

"Jeremy you must call off the attack, you must!" Gabriel was breathless after chasing after him. "Elena…she's alive. Look…"she handed him the letter that she had just received from an anonymous boy. Gabriel tried to interrogate the boy further but he escaped among the bustling crowd in the morning market. She watched as Jeremy's expression resembled hers when she first laid eyes on it.

Jeremy could not believe what he was reading, the hand writing was unmistakably Elena's and as he was exposed to Robert's traitorous plans, he seethed with extreme anger "This is beyond belief; I would never suspect Robert would do something so despicable…" his hands trembled slightly. It made sense now to him how Robert had boasted that he could kill Damon Salvatore and despite his missing limb, insisted on joining John's contingent to the west. John had taken it as an admirable display of valor but it was clear now that Robert was thirsty for action and war, a chance to kill Damon Salvatore at all cost. In this case, the cost was Elena's life.

Jonathan too was left speechless by the letter "She lives…and unharmed. We must reach father quickly brother…least they injure her among Salvatore's men in the ambush" a gush of fear clouded his mind as he thought of Elena's safety. It was a relief that Elena was still alive but she was not clear of danger if she unknowingly walk into their trap along with Salvatore especially with Robert present. Who knew what he might do to her the second time around?

"Gabriel, go! Go now and let this news bring mother's spirit back to life. We will hurry into the woods before dusk to reach father…" Jonathan grabbed the side of his sister's face dearly and then watched her ran back towards the house. "The rest of you, turn back…you there! Come with us. We must stop the ambush before night fall…move!" He commanded; taking a hand's full of men with him, racing towards the trees.

* * *

Damon and his men had been traveling quite the distance after a brief rest two hours ago by the river bank. He was sure to keep a steady pace so none would fall behind while keeping his soldiers alert. Elena was just a few steps behind him, struggling to keep up. With very little rest and long hours on her horse, she can no longer pretend her body was as well trained as the men she was travelling with.

Occasionally, Stefan would ask if she needed a drink or a short rest but Elena did not want to slow down the convoy. She found herself looking forward to reaching Newbrick for a decent meal and a comfortable place to lie.

They were losing day light quickly but Elena discovered that it did not hinder the army's movement as if they were gifted with sight in the darkness. Night fall came and brought with it cold winds from the mountains. As Damon noticed her clung to herself tighter, he passed her a fur cloak that would keep her warm. It was made of lush sheep wool but it smelt of Damon. Even though he never spoke a word to her for the past two hours, it was apparent that his thoughts never stray far from her, mindful of her every action.

Soon enough it was pitch black. "We're lucky it's a full moon tonight…" Elijah stated next to Damon, pointing up at the luminous globe that seemed to follow them. They trotted deeper into the quiet woods…too quiet in fact. There were no crickets, no owls or sounds of other creatures of the night and Damon could sense something was amiss. He lifted his fist in the air to stop them all from moving forward.

His senses were heightened, his body tingled with suspicious intuition and his eyes scanned the darkness between the tress around them. His weary men looked around, uncertain of their sudden halt. And then…

Arrows came soaring through the air towards them, piercing a few soldiers, sending them off their horses. Panic overcame them when it became obvious they were being ambushed as more arrows flew towards them from the dark. Damon instructed his men to put their shields up and protected Elena with his body. When the arrows ceased it was replaced by Gilbert's army descending around them forcefully from the high grounds and sounds of steel swords clashing broke.

Alaric and Mason unsheathed their swords and slashed through the hoards of men while Elijah and Stefan kept close to Elena. Angered, Damon too advanced into the crowd and swung his sword through bodies after bodies. There was blood everywhere. Shocked and horrified, Elena begged Stefan to give her a sword to defend herself. "No we must find a way to get you out of here…" he searched for a way out but the enemy had them surrounded.

Jeremy could only watch in horror as he reached the ambush location. The attack had already begun. He tried to look for his father and could not find him but instead saw Richard in the midst of the war zone. "Tell our men to stop fighting! Jonathan, find father. I will go to Richard." He yelled and they streamed down the slopes to join the utter chaos.

The chaotic violence escalated. It was unclear to Damon who was attacking them until John appeared, charging at him with menace. He roared as he swung his sword at him and clashed with Damon's own metal weapon. The steels sparked as they collided over and over again, both with equal power.

Another forceful swing of Damon's sword slashed through John's shoulder blades and he bled. John's horse passed Damon only to make a turn and charged at him again with more ferocity. Something was different about John that night, he was fiercer and on the brink of desperation, Damon could see it from the way he fought. His movements less calculated as a soldier but more outrageous. There was fire in his eyes and Damon felt burnt by his glares.

"Aaaaaarrrghhhh…" he seemed to blare out from the depth of his soul as his eyes filled with dejecting hatred. Damon braced himself for the blow he was about to face and watched John came at him with his sword highly aimed at his neck.

As swift as lightning, Damon bent backward to evade the sharp end inches away from the throat, simultaneously aiming his low at the chest of John's horse. Instantly, the beast bucked and stumbled, overthrowing John off its back with a strong thud.

Elena had to watch so many of them die but force her eyes open to keep watch of Damon somewhere in the unholy mess flaring up before her. A lump of terror mixed with relief lodged in her throat the second she saw Richard. "It's my brother! Richard!" she yelled. It was hard for anyone to hear her or to know she was there when her body was encased in a huge cloak. Elena tried to race towards her brother, longing to be reunited.

"Elena stay here! They might want you dead just like before…" Elijah shouted and blocked her as he slay a man that came at them.

"No, that's Richard. He would never harm me. He's my…." Her words stopped when she saw Robert's heinous face next to Richard. She was outraged that traitor was alive. She really wished Mason had killed Robert when he had the chance. Having one less leg had not proven to teach Robert a lesson but he carried on fighting, a hint of victory in his eyes and she loathed the sight of him.

But what was more devastating was that Robert fought alongside her own brother. Despair washed over her like salty waves as she realized Elijah may be right. She refused to believe that her family wanted her dead but Robert's very presence among them had made it difficult for her to think otherwise. It was bitter to swallow the unwanted truth and before she could break out into tears, Elena saw Jeremy hurried to the two men. Unexpectedly, he sent a blow to the back of Robert's head, sending him hurdling to the ground.

Hope soared through her and she struggled to break through Stefan and Elijah to approach her brothers but Damon emerged next to her.

He grabbed her by the waist and swung her onto his horse. "No! My Lord…I must go to them. They are my family…please…" she tried to free herself from Damon's tightening grips around her on his front.

"Yes I know it's your family Elena, your father almost had my head" he hissed and jerked her body closer to him, ignoring her plea. It was his nightmare coming true again; Elena's life threatened and being hunted down by her own family, a betrayal never acceptable even for a ruthless warlord. Damon looked to his men instead;

"Their barrier broke, now is our chance…" he instructed before racing away. After, knocking John off his horse, the force of attack by the enemy lost its intensity, as if there was an internal dispute among the Gilberts. Their strategy failed and the barrier they put around the perimeter crumbled as more of Gilbert's men fell, ceased attack or simply backed away.

The confusion among his enemy gave Damon and his men the opportunity to escape the ambush by way of north, the route Jeremy was supposed to guard.

"You let them escape!" Richard looked at Jeremy in confusion but was even more dazed when he saw no one chased after Damon and his men. Jeremy seemed to be in his own world as he dismounted his steed and stride dangerously towards Robert on the ground. "You imbecile…repulsive…deceiving rat!" he sneered through gritted teeth, taking Robert by the collar and pointed his knife right at his liver.

"What are you doing Jeremy?" John suddenly appeared behind them with Jonathan supporting his injured body. "Elena lives…this two-faced liar purposely led as to war against Salvatore…" he threw Robert back on the ground like a nauseating carcass as more men gathered around them to clarify the turns of their plan that was supposed to be flawless.

"The only traitor here is you! You let them escape…" Robert had the audacity to defend his pathetic life, scrambling on his one leg. "Shut your mouth before I pierce it right through your skull…!" Jeremy was nearing his limits as his insides started to boil with every second Robert still breathe.

He handed John Elena's letter to which he read and then heaved furiously, his eyes turning red with rage. He looked up from the piece of paper and then without the slightest hesitation or mercy, stood over Robert and placed his sword directly on his chest, tightening his fingers around the weapon. Fear shot through Robert's veins as he met John's eyes. "Sir, I assure you…I'm innocent…it's the wolf. He is the enemy not I…" his sentence never met its end as John stabbed his wretched heart and without remorse, twisted the steel deeper into his flesh, a slow and painful death the he so much deserved.

**By now, we can see John is a quiet man who speaks with actions. We'll dig deeper into his relationship with Elena later but for now lets just be happy Robert died! Sorry no smut yet..**


	9. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello readers...I've missed u...u've missed me and we all miss Elena and Damon so lets get on with it shall we? :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story**

Midnight came by the time Damon and his men slowed down. They had distanced themselves from the ambush location, riding for hours at great speed. The full moon that had accompanied them hid behind grey clouds, no longer generous with its glow.

Damon gave permission for his group to finally rest and gather themselves after the sudden attack. Their numbers had lessened; Damon guessed 20 to 30 of his men were murdered. Some were injured, gashed and wounded. Part of their supplies like tents, water and medicine, had fallen behind.

He dismounted his horse and assisted Elena off, taking her by the arm with a firm grip. She dared not look at him but when the muster the courage to finally raise her head, Damon had a stern expression on his dark face, his eyebrows furrowed. She could only guess what was plaguing his mind.

She did it again, she had caused complete chaos and worst, more men died for her measly little life; she thought depressingly. What difference does it make that Damon retreated from going into battle with her father, when the death toll rose regardless. All she prayed for was all the fighting to stop once and for all. Elena let her head drop, absorbing her own silent tears.

Damon too was deep in his thought, still outraged by the assault but then he caught a glimpse of Elena wiping away tears from under her heavy hood, her face shielded away from him. "Are you hurt?"

She merely shook her head. A mix of emotions flooded her, confused as to why her family had attacked Damon. Why was Robert part of the ambush? Being so near to her family again was tormenting when all she wanted was to be reunited with them. But then again she felt fear, not knowing their intentions. She needed answers.

"Stefan, watch over her will you…I'll see to our men" Damon landed his hand on his brother's shoulder to which Stefan just nodded. Before he could walk away, Elena spoke, "Robert was among them…"

"Are you sure milady?" Stefan took a step closer. "I saw him…"she felt sparks of anger warming her cold body just by mentioning his name.

"Does your family want what Robert wanted?" Stefan asked again while Damon watched on quietly.

"Even in a million years, I would never believe my own brothers and father want me dead. But after tonight…I'm not certain anymore" she expressed her most horrifying thoughts.

"What else did you see?" Stefan coaxed her to go on despite her growing heartache. She tried to focus through her blurry mind, flashes of the event played in her head repeatedly. Then she finally lifted her head. "Jeremy…Jeremy came and knocked Robert off his horse. It's all very confusing…"

"Aye sire, I too witnessed Robert being knocked off by their own men…" Elijah came from behind them. Damon started to analyses the events and information he'd received. The turn of events was rather odd. John's Gilbert's plans were flawed in a way that had led them to escape. A sense of confusion clouded the Gilbert's forces mid of the attack. Damon had come into close contact with John's sword many times before and it was unlike him to plan such a faulty attack. Perhaps there was an internal struggle among them, a conflicting motive behind it all…

His trains of thoughts were stopped by Mason who came from the crowd of men aiding themselves behind them. "My Lord…come quickly. Its Alaric…he's badly injured"

Elena watched all of them hurried to the back where Alaric laid motionless on the ground. As the thought of Alaric's injury and many more of them in pain or even dead at her cost, misery overwhelmed her again. She helplessly stood by as they gathered around Alaric.

"He's been stabbed…just below the rib cage. He had lost a lot of blood…" Elijah reported after a brief inspection. "He'll live, but he needs proper care."

Concern fell on all the men's faces as blood continued gushing from Alaric's wound. Elijah pushed a piece of cloth into it to stop the bleeding, causing him to scream in agony. "Careful…I'm not a turkey to be stuffed, Elijah!" he hissed but Damon felt relieved that Alaric sounded more like himself, which meant he'll be alright.

They fought many battles together and almost all of them had gotten injured just as badly or worst. Regardless, he still felt worried every single time it happened. One can never get use to a brush with death, it seemed.

"Wrap him up Elijah, tend to all the men with whatever medicine we have left. We have to move to Newbrick quickly…it's only a few hours away now" Damon stood and checked on more of his men.

By the time they reached the fort's old brick walls in Newbrick, dawn had stained the skyline. "Open the gates! The gates!" guards shouted at the gates to pull it open as Damon's convoy arrived. The massive heavy steel gates creaked open with tremendous effort. Damon and his army halted in the courtyard where servants scrambled to attend the soldiers and their horses at once.

Pales of water were carried to these men; horses were fed and tugged away to their barns, while the wounded were hoisted on leather and wood stretchers. Within moments the men started to disperse leaving a confused Elena. Damon strode into the entrance of his castle, five to six servants trailed behind him to collect pieces of armor he shed. His authority was amplified in a place he called home. Every person knew who he was and celebrated his return.

But something between them was strained after what had happened, Damon became cold and distant. He barely spoke to her on their journey there. Elena felt his anger but towards whom, she was able to decide. His sudden change of behavior was disheartening, something in her felt pained.

Not certain what to do, she stood still in the midst of the men where she felt familiar in a strange place. To her relief, a kind middle aged woman came out from the castle and greeted her. "Let's get ya' inside my dear, it's freezing out here" she wrapped warm fur around Elena's shivering form.

Elena let herself be led through the huge and complicated hallways of Salvatore's fort by the woman who introduced herself as Wanda. The interiors were gloom and harsh with minimal decorations. A string of shields and swords collection hung along the walls, each with the Salvatore's family name engraved on it, reminders of war they've won.

It was neither welcoming nor pleasing…but was displayed as if to intimidate enemies or motivate the Salvatore men into battle. She could only imagine the kind of childhood Damon had had within these walls.

She walked through the hall in silence, basking in the surrounding that had somehow formed and shaped Damon Salvatore into the man he was.

At the end of the hallway however, a portrait of a stunning woman stared back at her. She wore a golden dress that was a contrast to the ruby red chair she sat on, her dainty hands folded demurely on her lap. Her raven black hair carelessly flowed down her slender neck; a hint of laughter in the corners of her lips; and her eyes…piercing blue.

"Lord Salvatore's mother…god rest her soul" Wanda broke the trance Elena was under and she was left speechless. Elena searched the portrait more closely and the old lady carried on.

"Poor Lady Airiana, was very ill for years …master Stefan was still a wee lad when she passed..." she sighed heavily and seemed lost in the portrait and whatever memory hidden in it. Something told Elena, this woman was around when Damon's mother was still alive.

"She's beautiful…" Elena breathed out as she gazed up at the big portrait. She could sense that Airiana was a gentle mother with so much love in her eyes, young and lively. Damon must have surely loved her and still missed her dearly. Elena could not help but wonder if he had been a different man if he had not lost his mother's touch at such a young age.

"Aye, she was beautiful. A splitting image of the Lord himself, wouldn't ya' agree?"

Stunned by her question, Elena felt her cheeks burn and only gave a faint nod. Wanda simply laughed "C'mon now this way, let me show ya' your room."

"I'm terribly sorry my dear, we don't get a lot of female guests these days…I'll do what I can to this shabby old chamber to make ya' comfortable." Wanda pushed back the curtains and morning light came streaming through, bringing life into the room. White cotton was lifted off the bed, the vanity and the closet to reveal lavishly crafted furniture. The bed chamber was magnificent; immaculate in its design but dusty from lack of occupants.

She ran her fingers down the wooden bed post, encrusted with crystal beads and then studied the similarly polished vanity table not far away. To say her family did not live as 'comfortably' would be an overstatement. Sir John Gilbert was a simple man who enjoyed the necessities of life rather than the desirable standards of living.

His title did earn him a steady stream of bearable income when he inherited it 20 years ago. Unfortunately, after replanting the crops and refilling the life stock, not much was left for crystal encrusted bed posts. 'Unlike a Lord...' Elena told herself.

Wanda left the room abruptly and came back moments after, practically skipping with joy..."When they told me a young lady was here, I was so excited…I went down to the garden and pluck some fresh flowers for ya'…" she excitedly placed a vase of roses on the bedside table, grinning widely. "…I finally have an excuse to place them around the house too"

Elena giggled and watched on as Wanda and a few other servants hurried about the chamber. When they finished, a casual gown was left for her at the edge of the bed. "Ya' had a long journey dear, get some rest. Someone will bring up breakfast for ya' soon. There's hot water in the washroom…if ya' need any help, just call one of the maids and she'll attend to ya'."

"Thank you Wanda…" Elena didn't need the large room or fluffy thick blankets…she felt comforted enough by Wanda's motherly attention, something she felt missing for several days now. Wanda smiled and patted Elena's arm gently before she left, closing the doors shut behind her.

**A/N: I'm so sorry for this pathetic excuse of a chapter but its all i can manage for now...but hey I started writing again.**


	10. Chapter 11

**A/N: The next chapter. Hope u like it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story.**

Damon was drained of energy, his whole body ached as he cautiously relaxed every muscle in his body and let himself sank into the mattress. With an arm covering his eyes, Damon forced himself to sleep as footsteps of his servants left the chamber. He felt his temples throbbing, physically desperate for rest but his mind was racing.

After a few minutes of laying down perfectly still, he gave up on sleeping and sent for his brother. "Tell Stefan I need him…" he sat up and ordered his servant. The thin man scrambled out into the hall way, fearful of the urgency in his master's command.

Stefan was quick to respond and entered Damon's room moments later, his eyes red.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Damon asked as he sat at the edge of the bed, running his hands through his thick hair. He poured some drinks on his bedside table.

"No, I was sleeping fine until you called me…" the younger brother chuckled and took the drink Damon offered. "…but I knew a great deal was on your mind. Tell me Damon."

Damon needed to speak his mind and only with Stefan can he talk freely, expressing his fears and doubts. There was no greater companion and one he can fully trust other than his own brother.

He sighed, feeling his shoulders heavy with undecided burden.

"We were attacked twice in a span of a week, both were uncalled for…unprepared." He gulped down his drink, it burnt down his throat and he placed the cool glass against his forehead.

" I hate feeling vulnerable…weak" he cringed as if dissatisfied with himself.

Stefan sat back in his chair and studied his older brother, his blue eyes tainted with trouble and obvious confusion. He understood why Damon felt disappointed. As a man with the word 'victory' imbedded in his very core, every other possible outcome was not acceptable. Their father made certain of this since the day Damon was born... his very first sword was the length of his entire body, at the age of six.

Giuseppe had broken him down physically, mentally and spiritually, over and over again only for him to be built up stronger and more cunning. Stefan remembered all the vigorous training and relentless 'disciplinary' bashing their father put him through.

In fact, Stefan lost count of how many times he thanked god for not making him the first born son.

But as much as he was loyal to Damon, Stefan was also very intuitive. To him, Damon's fear did not seem reasonable. "Come Damon…you are telling me the ambush is the reason behind your distress?" he leaned forward to land an assuring hand on Damon's shoulder.

"We've marched into war in much more severe conditions…What about that strife in Bayfield? You had an arrow through your back the entire time?" Stefan shook his shoulders and saw Damon grin.

"Yes…and Alaric knocked his head on a bloody tree branch…"

"…his tooth was knocked off too…" they laughed at the memory that was a mix of amusement and also a revelation behind the brutal reality they were once in. Stefan knew best how to cheer him up and he also knew Damon was not being honest. He refused to believe Damon, leader of a great legion, was this troubled over two small scaled attacks. He was beside him through the most hopeless war, in some of the darkest places, against some of the most heartless, gruesome tyrants…the kind of wars that could make any man lose faith in humanity all together.

"I know truthfully, that is not the reason. Tell me brother, perhaps I still have some valuable opinion left in me, to offer for your plight."

"Are you concern for Alaric?" Stefan asked again when Damon seemed reluctant.

"No…he'll be fine" Damon was sure of that…fully confident in Alaric's quick healing capabilities.

"Would you like to discuss our route of entry into Mystic falls?"

Damon realised he hadn't been thinking about Mystic falls for quite some time until Stefan mentioned it. He shook his head and Stefan was more confused.

After sorting his thoughts, Damon finally spoke, "Its Elena…" his throat tightened as her name slid off his tongue. Stefan raised an eyebrow but remained silent, seeing more clearly how Damon had developed an attachment to Elena.

"Do you think her own father really wants her dead? I will not proceed to Mystic falls until she is safe…until I'm assured that she is among people with good intentions, people who care for her."

He stood to peek out the window, searching the adjoining tower where he knew Elena was placed. Damon never felt this way before, deeply rooted with another soul. He had a demanding urge to protect her so much so that it confused him.

He didn't understand how or why these desire took over him and without warning, Elena Gilbert flustered his mind and beguiled his heart.

She was nearly harmed and it was a thought that drove him to the edge. Elena's life came closer to ending with every attack they encountered. Had Elijah not foolishly abducted her, she would have resumed her daily life…unaffected. Regret fell upon Damon as he thought of how differently things would have been for her young life…and for him.

"From what I've gathered…" Stefan pointed out rationally that caused Damon to give full attention. "…It seemed that her true family may not want what Robert wanted…hence the confusion in the midst of the attack."

They ran over the events, finding it to be odder by the minute. It didn't make sense and there was reason to believe that John Gilbert was misled into attack.

"You may be right, brother" Damon crossed his arms and leaned against a sturdy book shelve opposite Stefan.

The younger brother continued; "If John Gilbert wants to reclaim his daughter, he'll know where to find her. If his intentions are not well…he will be at our mercy. This is our territory…our terms. In the meantime, our men would have more time to train for battle until you decide to move forward to Mystic falls " Stefan had a point, putting Damon's doubts to rest and he nodded slowly.

"And if nobody claimed her?" Stefan was about to exit the room when Damon blurted a troubling thought he'd been juggling in his mind for quite some time, causing his brother's footsteps to freeze. Stefan had absolutely no answer to give and just shrugged as he watched Damon stared out the window.

The near possibility of Elena's family not wanting to claim her was inconceivable but he forced himself to confront the prospect of it happening and what it would mean to him. Elena did mention that John did not favour her among all his other children but if he does not come forward for her, it could only mean she is disowned.

Strangely, the idea of Elena's ties with her family broken permanently; caused his hopes to soar. Damon finally admit the restless feeling that had been tormenting him since the first night he laid eyes on her, he realised what that feeling was. It was a foreign feeling but he recognised it suited the condition his heart was adamant to feel towards her.

His heart beat quickened as he thought deeply while Stefan watched on as if sceptical of whatever decision his brother was about to make.

"If Elena's family does not claim her…I will make her my bride" the unwavering determination in his voice left Stefan with nothing to comment on.

"If she is no longer a Gilbert, then there is no harm in her becoming a Salvatore…"

* * *

After dinner, they sat in the open study room as the fire burnt bright and warm. The dinner served to celebrate their return to Newbrick was bountiful and gratifying but the ambiance was dire as they paid respect to the fallen soldiers in the woods.

Suddenly Wanda came in and out of the room with trays of more bite-sized bread and drinks, pestering the brothers to eat. "Ya' boys are so skinny, if your parents could see ya' now…I'll be scolded for sure…"

The Salvatore brothers were tall, well-built men. They were more muscles than they were meat. Damon especially, spent longer hours training for combat than he does sleeping. He was anything but skinny. Still, Wanda forever saw them as tiny little toddlers, like the day they first met. She was 18 when Airiana took her in as a nanny for Damon. Stefan was born two years later and those were some of the happier times. Wanda stayed to look after them until this day as a vow to Airiana. She was the closest thing to a mother the Salvatore brothers had.

She was medium in height, with greying blonde hair, lines would appear at the corner of her eyes when she smiled and she wore the same colour apron for the past 26 years, sky blue. Unwed and without family, Damon and Stefan were the gems in her life.

They just groaned at her but obeyed none the less when she offered them endless stream of food. She had a lethal weapon against them…the mention of their late parents.

Moments later, delicate footsteps approached the study. "Aaahh, there she is. Come, come in dear…." Damon heard Wanda said and he looked up instantly.

Elena was a vision; dressed so elegantly in a lavender gown, her hair gathered at the crown of her head, she was well rested and her beautiful face glowed. Damon was mesmerised and as their eyes met, he felt peaceful and a sense of relief. He stood to welcome her.

"I apologise for missing dinner… but I was terribly tired…" she approached him but too shy to look directly into his burning gaze. His eyes travelled up and down her length, fitted so perfectly in the gown that all he wanted was to take her out of it.

"I hope you rested well…" his voice low and tender, she felt a shiver running up and down her spine. She was pleased that he seemed happy to see her despite his earlier cold demeanor, whatever that was bothering him must have been sorted out. However, she recognized the darkening of Damon's eyes that never failed at making her anxious.

"Perhaps Lady Elena would like a tour around the house while I prepare her supper..." Elena was thankful Wanda spoke, the intense atmosphere between her and Damon was unbearable. The air around her was suddenly hot and her breath shortened. She may never understand how he managed to have that effect on her but Damon Salvatore was the only man who could fluster her with a glance.

"It will be my pleasure…" he grinned seductively as he took her hand in his, his eyes never left hers. She reluctantly followed Damon out of the study and he led her towards the right wing. Feeling her temperature cool down, Elena let out her breath as they strolled along the spacious hallway.

"How are you feeling milady?" he probed to get some insight into her. He knew the ambush had affected her as greatly as it did him.

"A little shaken but I'm fine…really" she gave a polite smile and looped her hands around the arm he offered.

Pleased with her answer, he guided her deeper into the twisting hallways, resuming the tour; starting with The Great Hall. He pushed the door open slightly and she peeked through, catching a quick glance of the huge space inside before he shut the doors again. "That was The Great Hall…" he said simply and ushered her towards the next room. Elena glanced up at him with puzzlement but carried on with the tour.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here…welcoming me into your home" she softly said.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you want…until your father decides to fetch you..."

Elena giggled sarcastically "You mean IF he decides to fetch me of course"

"Yes of course…I suppose only time will tell" Damon smirked but sorrow washed over him when he saw that Elena had convinced herself that her family no longer loved her. More than anything, he wanted to assure her but he was not certain of John's intentions, himself.

A few steps away, they reached a room with many windows and before she could even ask, Damon pointed out immediately; "Aye, this is the chapel…" he then tugged her towards the next room down the hallway. "Wait…" she huffed and stood still.

"I'd like to look inside…" she insisted with that familiar rebellious look on her angelic face.

"No…you can come tomorrow if you wish to pray" he continued down the hall and Elena felt a little cheated but carried on.

They were quiet for a while until she decided that her guilt could no longer be contained; "I'm sorry about Alaric. I hope he would recover to good health.."

"Wounds such as that may take longer to heal but I'm sure he will be fine…I have the best physicians…" Damon spoke from years of experience, sounding very logic and curt but it did little to comfort her.

"Oh I see…" she looked down solemnly. Clearly, she was upset and he quickly stopped their steps and turned to her. She looked up at him worryingly as he placed one of her palms against his chest, urging her to feel him.

"Steel blades…cut through just beside my heart…" he pressed her palms firmly over his heart where she could feel a dent. "…and not just once…" he narrowed his gaze at her and she just looked at him wide eyed, not certain if she felt impressed of frightened.

Those were some of the worst injuries he had ever experienced, moments where he thought his life would surely end and pain that was incomparable to anything else.

"I'm not immortal like the tales suggest, Elena. I'm simply a man...I just have good physicians."

His smile calmed her and as he let her hand go, she wished it could have remained where it was…close to his heart. He had shown her how vulnerable he can be, proved to her once and for all that just like any other man, he could get hurt and terrified of death.

Elena felt a warm realization; the greatly feared Black Wolf was simply a man, a man who captured her... and her heart.

Swallowing down her new found feelings, Elena stayed silent. They started walking again until they reached the end of the hall and made a right turn and up a flight of stairs. He showed her another room.

"The gallery…" he let her admire this room a little longer than the rest. Elena was immediately entranced by the beautiful paintings that hung from one corner to the next. There was so much history in one room; she saw portraits of generations of Salvatore. Blue and green eyed men and women in luxurious clothes posed charmingly in each picture. Curious, she wanted to see them all but soon felt her arms being tugged away once more.

"Let's move on shall we?" Damon mocked a smile and Elena just raised an eyebrow. She was not impressed with the rapid introduction to a castle. She had never set foot in a castle before and she felt the need to thoroughly explore it.

"My Lord I wonder if all your guests are given the same amount of hospitality as I am…" she mocked.

She un-looped her arms from his and remained determined in the spot she stood, her chin pointed up. Even in a ravishing lavender gown, she was still able to intimidate. Damon nearly forgotten how hard headed she could be and that defiance was her specialty. She had proven that to him the night they met.

He chuckled and crossed his arms. "Milady, I'd say my treatment of you has been more than hospitable…"

"Why can't I see the Great Hall? It's where all the dances are held isn't it? Or why can't I stop and pray in the Chapel? I have a lot to pray for." She challenged.

"This gallery interest me…I'd like to see it…" it was more of an order and she couldn't decide if it was intentional or not.

"Are you always this demanding after a good rest?" Damon walked closer to her and she felt her courage crumble at the tone of his voice and his gaze that did unexplainable things to her.

She watched him approached her, his blue eyes piercing as he circled his arm around the curve of her hips, pulling her close against him and whispered hoarsely in her ear. His hot breath sent waves of desire coursing through her.

"The only place I want you to get well acquainted with, Elena… is my bedchamber…" he captured her lips in a searing, desperate kiss that alerted every senses in Elena's body. His mouth was unforgiving as his tongue slipped between her parted lips to caress hers...drinking in her taste as if his life depended on it. She felt herself yielding to him and his demands, her body moulded to fit his.

**A/N: A lot of progress and I think we all know what the next chapter will contain *naughty grin***


	11. Chapter 12

**A/N: Nothing to say but sorry :) and Happy Holidays..here's ur present a small chapter of nothing but smut. Hope u'll forgive me**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story.**

Elena felt secure and safe as he took her hand and led her to the biggest chamber there. It was warm with fire glow and she stood in the middle of the room, watching him shut the door behind them. She anticipated his next action from their fiery kiss moments ago but Damon seemed calmer, tucking his self-control in place and was excited to show her around his personal space.

She slowly walked around the chamber. Everything in it reminded her of him; the scent, the warm colours, the fur blanket and rugs. "This is where I unwind…where I find a peace of mind" he gestured towards a large chair facing the fire place, while following her steps with his hands behind his back.

"Watching the fire gives you peace, my lord?" she smirked at him and he chuckled.

"Sometimes…or the scenery out that window" he pointed to the large window right next to the fireplace that was overlooking the woods and mountains. Even in the dark night, Elena could tell it was a magnificent view from up there. What an adventure she was on. A week ago she was just a girl in a small village that lived a quiet life and now she was high up in a castle's tower, looking over lands that seemed endless and wide, in the company of a great Lord.

"But lately, I feel restless…" his voice solemn and it startled her. Elena turned to him with her delicate brows furrowed.

"I can't find peace anywhere" he looked down as she took steps closer to him, genuinely concern. He was opening up to her and there was something heart clenching about it.

"What is on your mind?" he shivered slightly when she reached out to caress his jaw, meeting her eyes. He shrugged.

"The only time I feel almost at peace, is when I have you in my arms…" he confessed without the slightest hesitation and sent her world spinning. She couldn't find the words to reply but instead allowed him to come closer.

The first light stroke of his lips against hers; wrecked her with unbearable tenderness and she naturally leaned in to him, silently asking for more. She was warm and inviting, so certain of her desire to be in his arms. Damon felt his breath caught in his throat. Her body yielded to him, her hands wrapped around his neck and down his chest, sending sensations throughout their bodies. He had never wanted anything more.

Damon backed up to the bed and sat at the edge of it, setting her form on his lap while their lips continued to convey the torturing desire they failed to express in words. Elena felt their coupling that night was going to be different, she felt it in the way he took his time undoing the laces at the back of her dress, the way he leisurely ran his hands up and down her back, the way his tongue savoured her mouth, as if he had all the time in the world.

She exhaled deeply at his painfully slow teasing as he cupped her swollen breasts and then gazed deep in her brown eyes. Elena opened hers to meet hauntingly beautiful pair of blue eyes, almost searching for some sort of answer from her but she wasn't sure.

Suddenly all movement seized, he took her chin in his long fingers and forced her to confront his questioning stare that penetrated into her heart.

He was waiting, she realised…for her to reveal her feeling to him, staring passionately at her. The distance he put between their parted lips caused cold harsh air to sweep through and Elena could think of nothing but to revive the fire between their heated skin; yearning to kiss him again.

Elena studied the man she'd come to love, the dark lover who possessed her body, gained her trust; and captured her affections in ways she never thought possible. This was her true feeling and he was asking her to show it to him, pleading with his eyes.

Without hesitation, Elena let her body speak for her as she caressed his square jaws, running her soft fingers down his neck where his vein thudded to his quickening heart beat and she lowered her face to his, and gently brushed her lips against his.

He finally knew. He knew what she felt for him…and that he found peace at last.

A sigh of relief escaped him as Damon shut his eyes and tightened his arms around her pliant body. She is fully and undeniably his, in his arms where she wanted to be and where she wanted to remain. He accepted her loving kiss, finding it sweeter now that he knew what it meant.

As if she triggered something in him, Damon's touch and kisses increases in ardor, suddenly desperate to merge with her. He pushed her down upon the mattress, covering her with his body, running his hands down her ravishing curves and soft skin. When he trailed kisses down her neck and chest, Elena felt a burning need so intense; she felt her insides melt as her heart pounded violently against her ribs.

"Damon…" she softly pleaded for him to take her. Damon wrapped his strong arms around her tiny waist, brought her against him and their bodies rubbed together deliciously. Damon groaned at the sheer pleasure as her tongue darted out to caress his lips and mouth, her sweet taste whirling in his senses.

He wanted to please her, wanted to tease her more, to make her grew desperate for him but he was torture instead, not able to withstand his control when Elena dug her nails into the lean bunched muscle of his back, arching herself to him. She could feel his rigid member pressed against her hips, his skin felt hot over her.

"I need you" she begged with shortened breath, her mind fogged with lust and when she lifted her thighs to rest on his sides, Damon lost it all. He lifted his body and knelt up in front of her, looking down the naked beauty, so desirable. Elena was panting and her chest heaved up and down, her eyes dark with want, her luscious brown hair spread wildly on the pillow and her long shapely legs were shaking.

She saw his smoldering blue eyes and then a devilish grin across his handsome face. It was both frightening and enticing. She knew she was at his mercy.

He placed his hands on her knees to part them and grabbed them to tug her closer to him, pulling her body near. She never knew she could want something as badly as she wanted him inside her at that very moment. Elena gasped loudly when he bent down to trail kisses down her stomach and then grabbed her hips and lifted it up to level with his aching erection, the tip of it poised at her hot entrance.

With a forceful push forward, he entered full length into her wet warmth, more than ready to encase all of him. Elena's head fell back and her soft mews encourage him on as he pushed deeper inside her only to pull out completely and then thrust his hips forward again. He gripped her hips tighter as he continued thrusting faster and faster and faster; filling her to the hilt.

Damon guided her hips back and forth, hissing in painful pleasure each time her silken core accommodated his length deeper. She felt too good to be true, like an amorous dream and his mind went utterly silent. The spaces around them were filled with her cries and their heavy breaths, mingling in the hot air.

His eyes traveled down her body where her skin was tainted with blush. Elena felt his hands reached to caress her swollen breast, tugging at the sensitive tips She let him master her body, taking over her as she arched her back.

He felt her walls stretching around his girth and drove again more forcefully, increasing his rhythm faster. She surrounded him, tightening against his throbbing girth; crying out his name in agonizing bliss. Her wandering hands groped the sheets beneath her as he sent her tumbling deeper into insanity, intoxicating her with sensations.

Damon was lost inside her, every muscle in his body tightened. He fixed his concentrated gaze at her beautiful face as their eyes met and then she started to move underneath him, circling her hips to meet his every thrust. They were tuned to each other, knowing well what they needed to soothe this aching desire.

His insides twisted, his breath shallow as he felt himself nearing the edge. Damon took Elena's hands in his and pinned them above her head. Their fingers intertwined and their lips locked. "I love you..." he panted hoarsely over her lips.

With one last forceful thrust of his hips against hers, they came together in a massive explosion of heightened sensations as waved after waves of pleasure washed over them, leaving them both trembling after. A salty tear rolled down from the corner of her eyes as they laid motionless, catching their breathes. She felt so overwhelmed with so much emotions paired with such intense love making, her whole body felt wrecked and raw from Damon Salvatore's consuming passion.

But out of all those feelings, she knew one that can no longer be silenced or denied;"And I too..." she whispered next to his temple.

* * *

"I could stay here forever" Elena was wrapped up comfortably in Damon's arm, her cheeks rested on his bare chest. She spoke as she gazed blankly out the window. Somehow she felt like she belonged and his love was enough to sustain her throughout her lifetime.

"This castle is yours" he replied so directly that caused her to look up at him in wonder.

"But what about my fa…" Damon silenced her quickly with a kiss. "Let's not speak of it now…" his warm smile contagious and they laid together for what seemed like eternity as he rained kisses all over her beautiful face.

"Wanda would wonder why we haven't returned from our 'tour'….supper is getting cold" She giggled when he playfully nipped down her throat.

"Let her worry…" but Elena remained silent and he studied her with a raised eyebrow, "…you're hungry."

She nodded shyly but Damon simply laughed and pulled her up and out of bed.

**Really hope I can find time to continue updating this lovely story soon..**

** Sincerely ~The most Unmotivated writer Ever~**


	12. Chapter 13

**A/N: I...I...I love you all *hugs* So I wrote this...please accept this short chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story.**

Hanged low on the chain was a bewitching green ruby pendant that shimmered in the light. Elena was breathless as she took the ruby in her hands, admiring it. The fineness of its cut made it absorb light from the window and dispersed it so beautifully…casting dancing sparkles on her skin.

She ran her fingers on the smooth surface before looking up at Damon, his eyes fixed on her.

"My Lord I…It's truly stunning" her face showed overwhelmed surprise.

"It suits you perfectly…much like what I had envisioned" a charming smirk played at the corner of his lips. He gazed down upon the pendant, resting in between her collarbones and ran his fingers over it. She welcomed his closeness.

But she could not understand the purpose behind this lavish gift. She was already given so much since she arrived, welcomed so graciously as if she was the mistress of the castle, treated to the best food and fine dresses and her every whim tended to. What more could he give her?

Damon ran his fingers along her small chin, his smile never quite reaching his eyes. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm glad you are pleased with this necklace…." He walked off to a study table at the corner of the room.

"… It was my mother's" he stated so casually as if giving away his late mother's belongings were irrelevant.

"oh…" Elena breathed out, looking at him in confusion.

Damon was like the wind, at times warm and comforting. And other times cold and harsh. He remained a puzzle, impossible to solve. Yet, Elena slowly learnt his moods and ways to adjust to them.

Time they've spent together in the past few days had been no less than blissful. His company, love and attention towards her gave nothing but a sense of completeness. Her nights are warmed by their passionate lovemaking and despite the dire circumstances; she dared to admit that she felt….happy.

Perhaps an issue regarding his men had risen, she told herself a possible excuse for Damon's distance. Elena walked closely to where he stood. "I am so grateful but…I'm not certain I should accept this…gift"

Damon turned to face her, his eyebrows raised. "Do you need a larger ruby? I'm sure my servants could dig something up from the old treasury. But by my memory…my mother did not own one any larger…"

"No…No…" She quickly grabbed his hand in alarm.

Damon chuckled at her panicked expression, the way her brown eyes widened. "What I meant was that….I could never accept your mother's necklace. It's too lavish, I don't deserve such a gift especially one that belonged to her." She gripped his arms tighter, biting down her lower lips. Airiana was an exquisite woman based on all the stories she heard of her, her kindness almost comparable to an angel. Her beauty was striking even in portraits, remained memorable to whoever that laid eyes on her. And most importantly, her love for Damon…

No doubt this necklace held all stories and memories of her; Elena thought to herself.

"Elena…that necklace was kept for years because I never thought I could find a woman deserving of it, after my mother…" his words tender as he stepped closer to her. Their eyes met and they stood gazing at each other.

"I was wrong…"

The words struck her deeply and Elena felt tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. "My mother wore this until her final days. And now I'd like you to wear it until yours" He tilted her chin up and drew her face closer to his, playfully teasing her.

"Is that an order, my Lord?" she fought back. His charms were magnetizing. "Perhaps it's more fitting that you address me as 'Damon'. Only those who I dominate over use my title…"

"Oh?" Elena raised an eyebrow, deciding if she could get use to using his first name.

"…and Lady Elena, I have not the slightest power over you."

Damon simply smiled and kissed her forehead before making his way to the door, leaving Elena alone to ponder her thoughts and his haunting words.

* * *

It was a beautiful sunny day, one that will not go to waste, according to Wanda. Elena followed her into a small patch of dirt where she called 'garden'. A few shy buds of blooming roses dotted the garden and it was lacking in greenery but Wanda was excited nonetheless. "My babies are blooming at last…"

"See those hills…used to be acres and acres of green lush garden. And look at what I'm left with now?" Wanda bent over to pick up fallen twigs on the ground while mumbling her complaints; her large derriere bumped Elena and almost knocked her off balance.

"Ooh…so sorry dear" and they broke into laughter along with several maids that tagged along. She was a dear company and Elena found her to be very amusing. Wanda had tended to her during her every leisure moment, enticing her with activities like sewing, gardening, and reading. She was determined to keep Elena occupied whilst Damon was busy.

While from the above window, Damon watched on…only partly listening to what his brother was saying. They were discussing about Mystic Falls, a matter that became less and less pressing to Damon with each passing day. Many have gathered to plan their next move into Mystic Falls, eager to hear what their leader had decided. Marcus, an elderly but strong man, stood among them; one of Damon's most loyal companions on the battlefield.

"Klaus had expected our attack earlier. But our delay had him under the impression that we are still at the borders against Gilbert's army and that we have lost. I heard news that he goes as far as celebrating it as his own victory…"

"What a fool…"other echoed behind him. The room was alive with anticipation and hunger revenge.

"He is not expecting us...Still dazed by his wedding and drunken celebrations; he'll crumble when we attack…" the others roared in agreement as Damon sat quietly in contemplation.

"I think we have enough soldiers and the spirit to crush Klaus into the dirt…we are ready!" Mason's confident declaration to commence attack was useless without Damon's authority. At that instant, all eyes turned to Damon for his approval.

There was not much he had to reconsider, claiming back Mystic Falls was his soul purpose ever since it was taken from his family 28 years ago and Damon had made a promise to Giuseppe that it will rightly be theirs once again. His years of battle had led up to this defining war against a tyrant, fraud king called Klaus, and Damon's army could not be as prepared as they are now.

The Salvatores were once rulers of vast lands. Mystic Falls was once their home. Isaac was Giuseppe's older brother and 28 years ago was the Salvatore on the throne. At the time his wife died, he remarried and brought in corrupted bloodline into the family. Isaac was murdered when his sons were away causing the throne snatched out of their grips and into Klaus's hands. He was a self-proclaimed king, enforced by his mother and her greed for power. Soon enough all that carried the name Salvatore were expelled and even executed.

In the dark night and hidden under piles of hays, Damon was still a small child when his family had to flee quietly out of Mystic Falls. They had to rebuild their life far away. And even then, many of the Salvatore bloodline perished once separated. Damon and Stefan are the few left to defend their family's honour.

The bitter memories strengthened his determination.

"Aye, we attack as planned…" ;simple words that lifted the spirits of all men present, inflaming their drive for victory. They shook hands and raised mugs of ale in the air. Not long after they had dispersed, only Damon and Stefan were left in the room.

"It seems that you have decided, brother" Stefan watched on as his older brother chucked down his drink and setting the mug aside. He still remembered that Damon swore he will not proceed to Mystic Falls until Elena was safe. Judging by the results of the meeting, Stefan assumed the matter of her safety was somehow resolved.

"Should I announce your marriage to the lovely Elena?" Stefan teased, hoping to lighten Damon's brooding mood.

"There is no need for that…"

Stefan did not expect Damon's solemn reply and saw that he was handed a letter. He read through it as quickly as the content started to fill his head. "They are coming for her?"

Damon simply nodded. "I received that yesterday…tell Marcus to prepare no less than 100 men to stay on alert until they arrive and 100 more at the gates and around these brick walls when Gilbert is here. I'm not taking any chances…" he busied himself with some papers on a table nearby. Stefan could tell he was avoiding this subject, wanting to speak less of it if possible.

"Surely you know his intentions are well, else you would not have been so certain of proceeding to Mystic Falls"

"I'm just keeping good faith Stefan, for Elena's sake…" Although his tone of voice was neutral, Stefan knew the news had affected Damon greatly. He just preferred it to be hidden.

"Have you told her?" Stefan asked before Damon could leave the room with his bow, to practice his archering skills that need not polishing.

"No…" he paused. "…perhaps later tonight"

**I still have hope for this story**


	13. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story.**

Damon was lost in his own torturing thoughts as he sat facing the window. The moon sympathized him and hid behind shrouds of clouds. Come dawn, the moon will inevitable be gone…and so will Elena.

Although he rehearsed it a thousand times in his mind, words could not quite roll of his tongue. How could he tell her? There was a pain in his chest, a pain that came since the day she entered his life and from the beginning he knew that she was never his to keep.

A mocking grin crept up his face as he told himself; 'Damon Salvatore is no prince. He is a warrior…a killer…there is no happy ending for the likes of him. He was a fool to ever belief otherwise'. His jaws tightened and he sighed, trying to grasp the man he once was…before Elena. The only way he will survive without her is to revert back to the person he was before she walked into his life, a loveless man with blood on his mind and visions of war that spanned over eternity.

Whatever hopes and shred of dreams he had about a different life with Elena will have to be burnt and ripped out of his chest, even if it meant his heart will bleed for a very long time. He needs to let her go…for her sake, he has to let her go.

Suddenly, gentle arms snaked around his shoulders and he felt a warm body pressed against his back. "What thoughts have taken you so far away from me?" Elena smiled down at him.

His tightened fist and jaws loosened in her presence as if air had finally filled his lungs from a suffocating place. He took her arms and lured her to his front, facing him. "I was told you wanted to see me. I waited in the study but you never appeared…" she continued. He remained silent and gave a meaningful smirk that made her heart raced. There was something unfamiliar in his eyes.

Elena inspected his face, solemn, as he took her dainty fingers and intertwined it between his strong ones. She watched as Damon leisurely stroked her hands, as if mapping out her every detail with precision and attention. His gaze concentrated but sad.

Elena's brows furrowed with concern and confusion, "My Lord?"

He looked up at her with his piercing blue eyes and held her hands against his cheek and square jaw. 'I shall miss her touch' he thought to himself and pressed the side of his face into her cupped hands.

Elena stood still, mesmerised by his tenderness and evident desire to touch her and be touched. She tried to find the meaning behind his eyes as he laid kisses on her palm and up her hand, drawing her closer to him. 'I shall miss her loving hands' his heart whispered. Voices in his head were loud that night as the room fell silent and candle light danced around the room.

Small breeze blew through the window and her light gown softly grazed against his knees. Damon ran his hands down the side of her hips and her thighs. His touches were deliberately slow and heated.

He gently urged her to sit on his lap and wrapped one arm around her tiny waist, pressing her body to his. She followed the silent commands Damon's body was making, keeping her eyes fixed at his him. Something was definitely on his mind; that much she knew. He was calm but determined to memorise everything single detail he possibly could about this enchantress in his arm. Memories that could last him a lifetime…it was the least he could have of her. These memorise would serve as sparks of fire that would light up his gloomed life and warm up his cold black heart and perhaps keep his spirits alive through the most mortifying battles to come. Elena on the other hand was weary, her heart started to beat faster.

Damon traced the outline of her lush lips with the tip of his fingers, feathery touches that were barely felt. Her tainted pink lips will haunt him perhaps just as much as the taste of it. Gone will be the nights where he could turn his head upon the pillow and reached for her sweet pair of lips that had lathered him with passionate kisses. 'I shall miss her kisses'

Damon then ran his fingers through her brown silken hair and slowly buried his face at her neck, inhaling her essence and laying delicate kisses along it. By then, Elena knew. She knew the hidden meaning behind his every movement and touches that night. Her eyes glistened like broken glass. No words could express her aching heart as the day she somehow knew would come, unfortunately came. Sobs started to fill her and it devastated Damon even more than he thought possible.

His hand tightened around her as if clinging to dear life itself and he stayed cradled at the curve of her neck, taking another deep breath of her intoxicating scent. Gone will be the nights where he could find warmth and peace, to lose himself inside her.

And whenever they were not locked together as one in fiery lovemaking, she would bewitch him with her words of kindness but laced with courage, her acts of defiance and bravery but somehow tender and compassionate. She had proven to stand by him, cared for him, understood him and…loved the notorious mighty Black Wolf…with scars and all. He would lose a dear companion, the only person who knew him perhaps better than he knew himself. 'I shall miss her presence in my dire life'

She could feel his entire body tense as he took her chin between his fingers and turned her face toward his devastated expression.

"I shall miss you, my beloved…Elena" he whispered to her.

Endless tears started to spill down her face.

"I don't want to go…"

Still finding it hard to speak, Damon simply wiped away tears that damped her lashes and cheeks. Each drop felt like a dagger through him.

"I want to stay here with you…"

As if his tongue was twisted into a knot, Damon just looked upon her face, trying to calm her with caresses down her face and small chin. Elena felt betrayed. How could he let her leave after all they have been though, after all they have shared and after how much she had grown to love him. She felt angry that he would just let her walk out the gates and be handed over, without much resistance. His silence did nothing but fueled her frustrations.

"Do you not want me here? Do you want to get rid of me?" she said through gritted teeth as she fought back tears with great failure. Her chest heaved with anger. She didn't ask out of ignorance but rather to challenge him. She wanted him to fight for her…for the rights to have her.

That's when Damon's eyes turned stern and dark, as swift as the cloud changes colour in a storm. "Your words wound me" he gazed into her eyes and jerked her body closer to him. She gasped at his force and dare not say anything more. Damon was a mass of power, he loved as fiercely as he fought and Elena experienced first-hand the lengths of his passion.

"You do not belong here with me. You should be with your family where you truly belong" he hoarsely whispered.

"Do you love me no longer?" her voice low this time, as she looked deep into his eyes, expecting the worst answer from him. She was partly afraid but partly furious of whatever answer he may give. She knew she would reject whatever explanation he has before she even hears it. If he truly loved her, he would claim her. And maybe she was naïve to think things were as simple as that, but her heart won't have it any other way.

Damon realized the beauty sat on his lap was a rare find…one that could never be unloved even if he tried hard to. He didn't have it in him to fight and argue about the right decisions she should make of her young precious life. He buried his face on her chest and sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"A few nights ago, I dreamt. For the first time, in a very long time Elena…I dreamt. A man like me knows no dream…just nightmares" it was a sad truth but truth none the less. Ever since he started going to battles at 17, sleep was no longer desirable. Damon would rather stay awake for days rather than confront the faces of all the people he slaughtered in his sleep. It was a price he paid for every victory, a taxation that only he suffered.

Elena grew sorrowful at his confession and ran her fingers in his dark hair and whispered atop his head. "What was it about, Damon?" she felt his embrace tightened around her waist and back.

"I was a simpleton. An ordinary man…"he shut his eye tighter trying to recall a brief but joyous dream he had whilst sleeping with Elena in his arms. "…I had no power, no wealth, so servants or armies…I had nothing"

'How could having nothing be called a dream' she wondered and continued listening.

"…just basking in the sun on a grassy hill"

Elena felt touched by his wish to live a life most people take for granted. "No swords? Bow and arrows?" she smiled down at him and he gave her a hearty chuckle.

"None…I was a free man" his smile was so genuine; she almost believed it to be true. But it faded as fast as it appeared.

"That is a life too late for me…Elena. Swords and arrows are part of my limbs. I swore on the Salvatore bloodline that I will avenge my family's honour and that is my duty until the day I close my eyes and not open them again. A Salvatore will tear a Gilbert's throat if given a chance but I realise now that it's not about the families and histories behind them… "

"I would die before I let anything happen to you, but I am Damon Salvatore…I am the Black Wolf and chaos follows me wherever I go. So when your father comes for you tomorrow, you need to go home. This is not the life for you…you should be free and safe and I am not the man who could provide that for you"

Elena was left speechless; it took her a moment to reply but before she could, he silenced her "Do it for me…live my dream for me, Elena"

She prayed he would change his mind, prayed that he would keep her…that he can't be without her as she could not be without him. She had no arguments against his reason, but she had love and that should be enough.

But as the cruel world decided; it was not.

Her mouth formed words of protest but he won't hear of it. He crushed her lips with his own cool lips and held her captive with his tongue, his hands roamed desperately over every inch of her skin. She yielded and obeyed as she kissed him back, sobbing into him. Their kiss tasted of tears and sadness…and with that she knew it was goodbye.

"I love you and that will never change…" he breathlessly said against her temple.

* * *

John's small contingent of over 30 men galloped calmly in contrast to the strained alertness in them. They approached the aged old brick walls of Salvatore's fort, high and mighty. It was stained of history, having witnessed vast bloodshed and endured many battles. John halted his men several feet away from the arches' range. Through his heavy metal helmet, he studied the number of men lined atop the fort. It seemed that Damon had assumed the worst of outcomes from this. Or perhaps it was all an elaborate trap.

However, John showed some faith at retrieving his daughter by bringing with him only 30 men but among them were some of the most powerful and trusted men, his sons and brothers. Silent was the morning until John's voice echoed beyond and over to the other side of the wall; "I am John Gilbert!"

Within seconds, the gates drew open and his brave horse led the way.

"Welcome" A green eyed man greeted them at the entrance of the castle as John dismounted his horse. He marched right up to him with a fierce expression. "Where is your brother?"

"He is waiting inside…if you please follow me" Stefan composedly stepped aside to invite John and Jeremy inside while the rest stayed on guard.

John entered the study, being in the confined space of his enemy's walls seemed to agitate him more and he grew impatient. His eyes met Damon's blue ones and suddenly the tension in the room amplified itself. "Have a seat…" Stefan invited once more.

"Enough with your courtesy, Salvatore! You know why I am here so hand me my daughter and let's be done with it."

Damon glared at John. He was not impressed with the words John had chosen to begin their dealings. This was not a trader's market where cattle are bargained for…it was to return a lovely young woman back to her family. Although the blame was not entirely John's, he was wise to be sceptical of Damon after years of fighting each other.

"Very well…I cannot stand the sight of you any longer than you could not stand the sight of me." He remained seated in his leather chair, a sword stood not far away. "Stefan, show the young Gilbert to Lady Elena" he ordered his brother who acted quickly. Jeremy reluctantly followed Stefan out of the study, wondering if it was clever to leave two lions alone in a room.

"So my daughter's abduction was a 'mistake' you say?" John sneered as he stood proudly opposite Damon, turning his body slightly to ensure Damon had a glance at his mighty sword.

"Aye, it was…I regret it deeply"

"hmmph…If there is one thing I know about you 'boy'! Is that your war games are as dirty as manure and as deceiving as black smoke. If this is one of your tricks…I swear I will make today a day you will regret" he said bitterly as he scowled at Damon.

Damon was unfazed. He relaxed his shoulders and reached for his glass of drink. "You need not worry old man. I averted your little village and will be on my way to Mysticfalls. Your men will no longer need to fight and could resume their daily life farming…or whatever it is they do best...as fighting is obviously not one of them." He gave a mocking smirk and John felt curious.

They had been defending their village against Damon for over ten years. All thirteen of the border villages had been conquered but not one was as important as the one the Gilbert's guard over. Why? Because they held the pathway to Mysticfalls.

And for Damon to suddenly lose interest in them, taking an alternate, more challenging route to Mysticfalls, was beyond him. John simply raised his eyebrow.

"Unless…you want to stop me…" Damon asked impassively. "You pledged your loyalty to fake king Klaus. A traitor is the one with games as dirty as manure…" his voice deepened at the thought of those who turn their backs on the Salvatores, the true rulers of Mysticfalls.

And to think John was once one of Giuseppe's trusted men and close ally was sickening to him.

"I am no traitor! You Salvatores brought this upon yourselves. You should have fled if you knew what was best for you. But you are a stubborn lot, who refuse to leave! Refuse to accept the fact that you have been over thrown…" John took steps closer, challenging the dangerous territory between them. "I told your father to pack his family and whatever he could carry to leave…but he did not take heed" he was infuriated by the past and the cruel turns of events that had torn him and Giuseppe apart.

"Naturally, the noble thing to do next was to vow your services to Klaus?" Damon's muscles felt strained, his anger on the verge of escaping him. But John's anger and frustration had unleashed itself upon the room. "You were not even born the day I risked my life for your father and I will gladly do it again!" he shouted.

"Your words are useless…because he is already dead!" Damon stood with his fist clenched, neither one backing away. The fire in Damon's eyes raged higher and higher, his fingers twitching to grab his sword.

* * *

Stefan led Jeremy down the hallway. Jeremy judged that Stefan was a trustworthy man who was not careless enough to try anything foolish so he let his grips fall away from his belt. They reached a bedchamber and Stefan gave 3 gentle knocks before entering. As the doors parted, his eyes fell on Elena who stood across the room. "Jeremy" they reached for each other in the middle of the room as Jeremy hugged her sobbing form tightly. He felt such relief to see his sister alive, thanking the heavens a hundred times over; "I thought we've lost you" he kissed the top of her head.

"I thought you wanted me dead…" her words barely understood between her cries.

"What?"

"Like Robert…he wanted to kill me…and I thought.."

"Elena…never let that thought cross your mind ever again." He cupped her face dearly. Elena felt her spirit lifted at his words, her faith restored in the love of her family once more. Like a dream, she would be reunited with her family…all the faces she missed. She could barely wait to embrace her mother, her sister and each one of her brother just as she was holding Jeremy. But she was not certain why the moment Jeremy said;

"I've come to take you home". Her feelings stirred erratically.

Elena gathered her efforts to give Jeremy the happiest smile she could manage, hoping it had come across the way the intended to. He then took her hands and ushered her out the room until his eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny. "Where did you get this?"

He took the ruby pendant hanging at Elena's neck, into his hands, inspecting its exquisite make. Jeremy was baffled and curious as to how a captive ended up with a ruby the size of a quail's egg. He turned to Stefan for answers but he too had no knowledge of it. "Tis was a gift…" Elena randomly picked one of the thousands explanations that was playing in her head.

"A gift?" Jeremy narrowed his gaze at her with a raised eyebrow. But his confused expression turned hard as soon as the riddles were solved and light was shed on the situation Elena was in. Undoubtedly, his sister had captured Lord Salvatore's heart and the necklace was proof that. He was not sure what to say or how to react. Elena became uneasy under his glare.

"Take it off"

"But Jer…"

"Take it off! Least you want father to cut if off…together with your neck"

Elena felt a tremor of fear travel up her spine at the truthfulness of Jeremy's words. She hesitantly reached to unhook the necklace at the back of her neck. Sheen of tears blurred her vision as she handed Jeremy the necklace and watch him confiscate it from her.

A moment of tenderness reappeared in him when he stroked her hair softly and took her out of the room "Come, father is waiting for us"

* * *

Elena was shocked to enter the study and found his father pinned against a wall with the sharp end of Damon's sword poised at his chin. "No! Please…" she cried out.

Her cries were ignored as Damon pressed his sword closer to John. "You chose to serve that bastard king Klaus instead of denying him and you betrayed my family…how could you even face your own reflection every day? " he was filled with hatred.

"Damon, we soldiers do not have choices, never have and never will." John voiced out with no sign of remorse but instead with wisdom. He then turned to glance at Elena where his eyes softened. Damon followed where John was looking and soon the word 'choice' and Elena merged to make sense in his head. John had no other choice but to serve Klaus or it will be at the price of his family. His wife, his children and his people would have suffered… so regretfully, he made a choice.

Damon swallowed his pride and fury, letting the sword fall away from John's head.

"Whatever deed you have done for my father, consider it paid with my favour upon your village. But if you stand in my way to kill Klaus and take back what's rightly mine…I swear I will make today a day you will regret"

He turned on his heel, walked out the room but before he stopped to give one last glance at Elena. The last sight he has of her was as a vulnerable woman with tears down her cheeks, her big brown eyes filled with fear as she witnessed him threatened her father.

She will leave him with the same thoughts as she had first met him, 'Damon Salvatore a heartless warlord' and what a miserable way to part. A misery Damon will have to carry with him throughout his life. The brief gaze they shared ended in a blink of an eye and it was all over. He left with footsteps that neither turned back nor slowed down. Elena closed her eyes and felt her insides twisted and ripped as tears generously flowed down her eyes.

** So here's what's up...I have a thesis to write that is almost as long as this story so far. But unfortunately the thesis is not as fun to write :( so bare with me as I have other commitments.**

**I'll try my best to be inspired enough to keep this story going. I have some good ideas ahead :D**

**Hugs and kisses**


End file.
